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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


https://archive.org/details/biblicalresearch01robi_0 


BIBLICAL  RESEARCHES 

IN 

PALESTINE, 

MOUNT  SINAI  AND  ARABIA  PETR  A!  A 

A  JOURNAL  OF  TRAVELS  IN  THE  YEAR  1838 

BY 

E.  ROBINSON  AND  E.  SMITH. 

UNDERTAKEN  IN  REFERENCE  TO  BIBLICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 


DRAWN  UP  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  DIARIES,  WITH  HISTORICAL  ILLUSTRATIONS, 


BY  EDWARD  ROBINSON,  D.  D. 


Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  in  the  Union  Theological  Seminary,  New  York; 
Author  of  a  Greek  and  English  Lexicon  of  the  New  Testament,  etc. 


WITH  NEW  MAPS  AND  PLANS  IN  FIVE  SHEETS. 


VOL.  I. 


BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED  BY  CROCKER  &  BREWSTER, 

No.  47,  Washington  Street. 

NEW  YORK — JONA.  LEAVITT*.  LONDON — JOHN  MURRAY: 
HALLE — WAISENHAUSBUCH  HAND  LUNG. 

1841. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1841, 


By  Edward  Robinson, 

In  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District  of 

New- York. 


University  Press. 
JOHN  F.  TROW,  PRINTER, 
114  Nassau  street,  N.  Y. 


TO  THE 


REV.  MOSES  STUART, 

Professor  of  Sacred  Literature  in  the  Andover  Theological  Seminary, 

THESE  VOLUMES, 

THE  FRUIT  OF  STUDIES  BEGUN  IN  THE  BOSOM  OF  HIS  FAMILY, 

ARE  RESPECTFULLY  INSCRIBED, 

AS  A  TOKEN  OF  GRATEFUL  ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 
ON  THE  PART  OF  A 


PUPIL  AND  FRIEND. 


■ 


■ 


PREFACE. 


The  occasion,  the  motives,  and  the  manner  of  the 
journey,  of  which  these  volumes  contain  the  history, 
are  sufficiently  detailed  at  the  beginning  and  close  of 
the  Introductory  Section.  It  remains  here  only  to 
speak  of  the  form,  in  which  the  materials  have  been 
wrought  up. 

It  was  my  original  plan,  to  present  to  the  public 
only  the  results  of  our  researches  in  Palestine,  with¬ 
out  any  reference  to  personal  incidents.  But  the 
advice  of  friends,  whose  judgment  I  could  not  but 
place  above  my  own,  was  averse  to  such  a  course. 
I  have  therefore  everywhere  interwoven  the  personal 
narrative;  and  have  endeavoured  so  to  do  it,  as  to 
exhibit  the  manner  in  which  the  Promised  Land 
unfolded  itself  to  our  eyes,  and  the  processes  by 
which  we  were  led  to  the  conclusions  and  opinions 
advanced  in  this  work.  In  all  this  there  is  at  least 
one  advantage  for  the  public.  As  we  venture  to 
hope,  that  these  volumes  contain  a  considerable 
amount  of  new  information  upon  the  historical  topog¬ 
raphy  of  Palestine,  this  course  will  enable  the  reader 
better  to  judge  of  the  opportunities  for  observation 
enjoyed  by  the  travellers,  as  well  as  of  the  credibility 
of  their  testimony  and  the  general  accuracy  of  their 
conclusions.  In  all  these  particulars,  we  have  no 
desire  to  shun  the  closest  scrutiny. 


VI 


PREFACE. 


A  similar  doubt  existed  for  a  time,  in  respect  to 
the  form  of  narrative  to  be  adopted ; — whether  a  full 
and  regularly  arranged  account  of  each  object  in 
succession,  as  in  the  works  of  Pococke  and  Niebuhr ; 
or  a.  daily  Journal,  like  those  of  Maundrell  and  Burck- 
hardt.  I  chose  the  latter,  for  a  reason  similar  to  that 
already  assigned,  viz.  that  in  this  way  the  reader  is 
better  able  to  follow  the  process  of  inquiry  and  con¬ 
viction  in  the  traveller’s  own  mind.  It  is  however 
an  evil  necessarily  incident  to  this  form,  that  remarks 
upon  one  and  the  same  object  sometimes  occur  in 
different  places,  instead  of  being  brought  together  as 
parts  of  a  whole.  Thus,  in  regard  to  the  Horeb  of 
the  present  day,  the  probable  place  of  the  giving  of 
the  law,  the  order  of  time  has  led  me  first  to  speak 
of  it  as  it  appeared  on  our  approach ;  again,  as  we 
measured  the  plain  and  took  bearings  of  the  moun¬ 
tains  around ;  and  then,  once  more,  in  connection 
with  our  visit  to  its  summit.  In  like  manner,  at  Beit 
Jibrin,  the  ancient  Eleutheropolis,  which  we  exam¬ 
ined  at  two  different  times,  various  objects  of  interest 
are  naturally  described  under  each  visit.  Yet  it 
seems  to  me,  that  this  is  not  an  evil  of  sufficient 
magnitude,  to  counterbalance  the  general  advantages 
of  the  journal  form. 

Another  more  important  change  of  the  original 
plan,  arose  during  the  progress  of  the  work,  which 
has  had  the  effect,  not  only  to  enlarge  the  size,  but 
also  to  increase  the  labour  of  preparation  more  than 
fourfold.  I  mean  the  introduction  of  historical  illus¬ 
trations,  and  the  discussion  of  various  points  relating 
to  the  historical  topography  of  the  Holy  Land.  My 


PREFACE.  yii 

first  purpose  was  merely  to  describe  what  we  saw, 
leaving  the  reader  to  make  his  own  application  of 
the  facts.  But  as  I  proceeded,  questions  continually 
arose,  which  I  could  not  pass  over  without  at  least 
satisfying  my  own  mind ;  this  sometimes  led  to  long 
courses  of  investigation ;  and  when  I  had  thus  arrived 
at  satisfactory  conclusions,  it  seemed  almost  like  a 
neglect  of  duty  towards  the  reader,  not  to  embody 
them  in  the  work.  Most  of  these  were  topics  re¬ 
lating  to  the  geography  of  the  Bible,  and  intimately 
connected  with  its  interpretation ;  and  I  remembered 
too,  that  they  had  never  been  discussed  by  any  one, 
who  had  himself  visited  the  Holy  Land. 

One  branch  of  these  historical  investigations, 
which  I  cannot  but  consider  as  important  for  the 
future  geographer  and  traveller,  presents  a  field  com¬ 
paratively  untrodden.  I  refer  to  the  mass  of  topo¬ 
graphical  tradition,  long  since  fastened  upon  the  Holy 
Land  by  foreign  ecclesiastics  and  monks,  in  distinc¬ 
tion  from  the  ordinary  tradition  or  preservation  of 
ancient  names  among  the  native  population.  The 
general  view  which  I  have  taken  of  this  subject,  and 
the  principles  on  which  we  acted  in  our  inquiries,  are 
sufficiently  exhibited  in  the  beginning  of  Sec.  VII. 
This  view  has  been  silently  carried  out  in  the  subse¬ 
quent  parts  of  the  work ;  and  the  attempt  made  to 
point  out,  in  most  cases,  not  only  what  is  truth  and 
what  is  mere  legendary  tradition,  but  also  to  show 
how  far  the  latter  reaches  back. 

In  the  history  of  this  foreign  tradition,  three  ages 
or  periods  are  distinctly  marked  by  documents,  which 
show  us,  with  tolerable  completeness,  its  state  and 


PREFACE. 


•  •  » 

Till 

character  at  the  time.  I  regret  that  I  have  not  made 
these  different  periods  more  regularly  prominent  in 
the  body  of  the  work.  The  first  falls  in  the  fourth 
century,  about  A.  D.  333,  when  foreign  influence  had 
just  acquired  a  firm  and  permanent  footing,  and  had 
not  as  yet  very  greatly  swerved  from  the  tide  of 
native  tradition.  Of  this  period  we  have  a  record  in 
the  Onomasticon  of  Eusebius,  and  the  Jerusalem  Itin¬ 
erary.  The  second  is  the  age  of  the  crusades,  in  the 
twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries;  the  traditions  of 
which  are  best  registered  in  the  tract  of  Brocardus, 
about  A.  D.  1283.  The  third  period  occurs  at  the 
beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century;  when  the  vo¬ 
lumes  of  Quaresmius  exhibit,  in  full,  the  state  of ’the 
tradition  then  current  in  the  convents,  the  great 
source  from  which  most  European  travellers  have 
drawn  their  information. — In  comparing  these  three 
periods,  it  is  interesting,  though  painful,  to  perceive, 
how  the  light  of  truth  has  gradually  become  dim,  and 
at  length  often  been  quenched  in  darkness.  The 
Onomasticon,  with  all  its  defects  and  wrong  hy¬ 
potheses,  has  yet  preserved  to  us  much  of  the  tra¬ 
dition  of  the  common  people ;  and  contains  many 
names  of  places  never  since  discovered,  though  still 
existing ;  while  the  few  pages  of  Brocardus  are  worth 
more,  in  a  topographical  respect,  than  the  unwieldy 
folios  of  Q,uaresmius.  It  is  certain,  that  in  the  long 
interval  between  Eusebius  and  the  crusades,  very 
much  was  forgotten  by  the  church  which  still  existed 
among  the  people;  and  in  the  subsequent  period,  the 
progress  of  oblivion  was  perhaps  not  less  rapid.  Even 
within  the  last  two  centuries,  so  far  as  the  convents 


PREFACE. 


IX 


and  travellers  in  Palestine  are  concerned,  I  fear  the 
cause  of  Biblical  Geography  can  hardly  be  said  to 
have  greatly  advanced. 

As  here  presented  to  the  public,  these  volumes 
may  therefore  be  said  to  exhibit  an  historical  review  of 
the  Sacred  Geography  of  Palestine,  since  the  times 
of  the  New  Testament ;  pointing  out  under  each  place 
described,  how  far  and  in  what  period  it  has  hitherto 
been  known.  This  applies  however  in  strictness, 
only  to  the  parts  of  the  country  examined  by  us; 
although  these  include,  in  a  certain  sense,  nearly  the 
whole  of  Palestine  west  of  the  Jordan. 

A  point  to  which  we  gave  particular  attention, 
was  the  orthography  of  Arabic  names,  both  in  Arabic 
and  Roman  letters.  In  respect  to  the  former,  my  com¬ 
panion,  Mr.  Smith,  had  already  made  some  prepara¬ 
tion  for  our  journey,  by  obtaining  the  names  of  places 
in  many  of  the  provinces  and  districts,  written  by  edu¬ 
cated  natives.  These  lists  were  afterwards  verified 
and  corrected  from  various  sources,  as  well  as  by 
himself  on  visiting  the  respective  districts.  The  re¬ 
maining  names  were  written  down  by  him  from  the 
pronunciation  of  the  Arabs,  with  great  care,  and  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  established  rules  of  the  language.  In 
the  region  of  Mount  Sinai  and  Wady  Musa,  w7e  had 
the  benefit  of  Burckhardt’s  orthography,  which  was 
found  to  be  usually,  though  not  always,  correct.  It 
is  worthy  of  remark,  that  Burckhardt  is  hitherto  the 
only  Frank  traveller  in  Syria,  who  has,  to  any  extent, 
given  us  Arabic  names  written  with  Arabic  letters.1 

1)  The  names  written  in  Ara-  in  the  Travels  of  Scliolz,  are  so 
hie  letters  on  the-  great  map  of  Pa-  very  incorrect,  as  to  form  no  ex- 
lestine  by  Jacotin,  and  also  those  ceptionto  the  above  remark. 

VOL.  I.  B 


X 


PREFACE. 


In  this  connection,  we  could  not  but  feel  the  want 
of  a  regular  system  of  orthography  for  the  same 
names,  when  written  with  Latin  letters.  Scarcely  a 
trace  of  such  a  system  can  be  said  to  have  existed 
hitherto,  except  in  individual  works.  The  subject 
was  brought  before  the  general  meeting  of  the  Syrian 
mission  at  Jerusalem  ;  and  after  long  consideration,  it 
was  resolved  to  adopt,  in  general,  the  system  proposed 
by  Mr.  Pickering  for  the  Indian  languages,1  with 
such  modifications  as  might  be  necessary  in  adapting 
it  to  the  oriental  tongues.  Two  motives  led  to  a 
preference  of  this  system ;  first,  its  own  intrinsic 
merits  and  facility  of  adaptation;  and  secondly,  the 
fact,  that  it  was  already  extensively  in  use  through- 
out  Europe  and  the  United  States,  in  writing  the 
aboriginal  names  in  North  America  and  the  South 
Sea  Islands ;  so  that  by  thus  adopting  it  for  the 
oriental  languages,  a  uniformity  of  orthography  would 
be  secured  among  the  missions,  and  also  in  the  pub¬ 
lications,  of  the  American  Board.2 

In  furtherance  of  the  same  general  object,  my 
friend  has  taken  pains  to  exhibit,  in  a  short  but  very 
clear  Essay,  the  principles  which  govern  the  pronun¬ 
ciation  of  the  spoken  Arabic  at  the  present  day. 
This  I  am  sure  will  be  highly  acceptable  to  Arabic 
scholars.  It  will  be  found  in  the  Appendix  to  the 
last  volume ;  and  is  there  followed  by  the  Lists  of 


1)  ‘‘Essay  on  a  uniform  Ortho¬ 
graphy  for  the  Indian  Languages 
of  North  America.  By  John  Pick¬ 
ering.55  Cambr.  N.  E.  1818. — The 
Indian  Languages  of  North  Amer¬ 
ica  and  of  the  Islands  of  the  Pacific, 
have  mostly  been  reduced  to  writ¬ 


ing  according  to  this  simple  sys¬ 
tem. 

2)  In  a  few  Arabic  names  and 
words  already  common  in  Euro¬ 
pean  languages,  we  have  preferred 
to  follow  the  usual  orthography ; 
as  Saladin,  Ramleh,  Wady,  etc. 


PREFACE. 


XI 


Arabic  names  of  places  above  referred  to,  which  are 
more  fully  described  at  the  beginning  of  Sec.  IX. 
The  Arabic  orthography  of  all  the  names  occurring 
in  the  text,  is  likewise  given  in  an  alphabetical  Index 
at  the  close  of  the  work. 

The  accompanying  maps  have  been  drawn,  under 
my  own  inspection,  by  Mr.  H.  Kiepert,  a  young  scholar 
of  great  talent  and  promise  in  Berlin.  In  the  parts 
of  the  country  visited  or  seen  by  us,  they  have  been 
constructed  almost  solely  from  our  own  routes  and 
observations  and  the  information  we  were  able  to 
collect,  brought  into  connection  with  known  and 
fixed  points.  The  other  portions  have  been  supplied 
from  the  best  authorities,  viz.  the  form  and  shores  of 
the  Gulfs  of  the  Red  Sea,  from  the  chart  of  Capt. 
Moresby;  the  country  south  of  Wady  Musa  and  parts 
of  Sinai,  so  far  as  known,  from  Laborde,  with  correc¬ 
tions  from  Burckhardt  and  Riippell ;  the  coast  of 
Palestine  as  far  north  as  to  ’Akka,  and  the  country 
around  Nazareth,  from  the  great  map  of  Jacotin, 
compiled  from  surveys  made  during  the  French  ex¬ 
pedition  in  A.  D.  1799;  the  positions  on  the  coast 
being  corrected  from  later  astronomical  observations.1 
The  small  tract  given  of  the  country  east  of  the  Jordan, 
has  been  reconstructed  from  the  routes  and  observa¬ 
tions  of  Burckhardt,  compared  with  those  of  Seetzen, 
Irby  and  Mangles,  and  a  few  others  of  less  importance. 
The  whole  of  Mount  Lebanon  north  of  Sidon,  is 
drawn  from  manusciipt  maps  of  Prof.  Ehrenberg  of 

1)  The  great  map  of  Jacotin  is  ’Akka,  the  region  of  Nazareth, 
valuable  only  in  the  parts  actually  and  around  Mount  Tabor.  The 
visited  by  the  French  engineers,  other  parts  are  worthless,  being  ap- 
viz.  along  the  coast  as  far  as  to  parently  mere  fancy  sketches. 


Xll 


PREFACE, 


Berlin  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bird  of  the  American  Mis¬ 
sion  in  Syria,  kindly  communicated  to  me  for  that 
purpose.  The  map  of  the  former  was  used  by  Berg- 
haus;  those  of  the  latter  have  never  been  brought 
before  the  public. — For  the  extent  and  value  of  our 
materials,  as  well  as  for  the  other  sources  in  general, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  the  Memoir  of  Kiepert,  in  the 
Appendix  to  this  work.  The  style  in  which  the  maps 
have  been  engraved  on  stone  by  Mahlmann  of  Berlin, 
himself  a  skilful  cartographer,  will  I  trust  be  satisfac¬ 
tory  to  all. 

In  the  construction  of  the  maps,  it  has  been  a 
main  principle,  to  admit  no  name  nor  position  on 
mere  conjecture,  nor  without  some  sufficient  positive 
authority.  Where  a  place  is  known  to  exist,  though 
its  position  is  not  definitely  ascertained,  it  is  marked  as 
uncertain.  The  operation  of  this  principle  has  been, 
to  exclude  a  multitude  of  names,  ancient  and  modern, 
which  figure  at  random  on  most  maps  of  Palestine. 
For  what  is  the  advantage  of  multiplying  names,  if 
we  know  not  where  they  belong"?  On  the  other 
jiand,  I  would  fain  hope,  that  very  much  has  been 
gained  in  truth  and  correctness.  The  orthography 
upon  the  maps  has  been,  for  the  most  part,  reduced  to 
our  system.  In  respect  to  several  names,  however, 
along  the  coasts  of  the  Red  Sea,  as  well  as  a  very 
few  others,  this  was  not  in  my  power;  and  they  are 
therefore  distinguished  by  the  mode  of  engraving. 

This  is  all  I  have  to  say  respecting  the  work,  as 
here  presented  to  the  public.  We  wish  it  to  be  re¬ 
garded  merely  as  a  beginning,  a  first  attempt  to  lay 
open  the  treasures  of  Biblical  Geography  and  History 


PEEFACE. 


•  •  • 

Xlll 

still  remaining  in  the  Holy  Land, — treasures  which 
have  lain  for  ages  unexplored,  and  had  become  so 
covered  with  the  dust  and  rubbish  of  many  centuries, 
that  their  very  existence  was  forgotten.  Were  it  in 
our  power  again  to  travel  through  that  Land  of 
Promise,  with  the  experience  acquired  during  our 
former  journey  and  from  the  preparation  of  this  work, 
and  furnished  too  with  suitable  instruments,  I  doubt 
not  we  should  be  able  to  lay  before  the  Christian 
world  results  far  more  important  and  satisfactory. 
But  this  high  privilege,  I  at  least  can  never  more  hope 
to  enjoy.  My  companion,  however,  returns  to  the 
seat  of  his  labours  in  Beirut,  taking  with  him  instru¬ 
ments  of  the  best  kind,  in  the  hope  of  being  able 
during  his  occasional  journeys  to  verify  or  correct  our 
former  observations,  and  also  to  extend  his  examina¬ 
tion  over  other  parts  of  the  country.  I  trust  that  I 
may  yet  be  the  medium  of  communicating  many  of 
his  further  observations  to  the  public  ;  and  that  in  this 
way,  if  God  will,  we  may  still  be  active  together,  in 
promoting  the  study  and  illustration  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures.  Should  my  life  be  spared,  I  hope  to  be 
enabled  to  use  all  the  materials  thus  collected  by  us 
both,  for  the  preparation  of  a  systematic  wTork  on  the 
physical  and  historical  geography  of  the  Holy  Land. 

The  manuscript  of  this  work  has  been  wholly  pre¬ 
pared  in  Berlin ;  where,  in  the  unrestricted  use  of  that 
noble  institution,  the  Royal  Library,  and  of  the  very 
valuable  private  collections  of  Ritter,  Neander,  and 
Hengstenberg,  I  had  access  to  all  the  literary  means  I 
could  desire.  For  all  these  privileges,  and  for  other 
aid  from  many  friends,  my  best  thanks  are  due.  How 


XIV 


PREFACE. 


much  I  owe  besides  to  the  advice  and  unwearied 
kindness  of  Ritter,  I  need  not  say  to  those  who  know 
him ;  the  many  months  of  cherished  intercourse  to 
which  his  friendship  admitted  me,  will  ever  remain 
among  the  brightest  recollections  of  my  life. 

The  manuscript  was  completed  in  August  1840. 
Since  that  time,  the  intervention  of  the  European 
powers  has  caused  Palestine  once  more  to  revert  to 
the  sway  of  the  Sultan ;  and  the  Egyptian  dominion 
over  it  is  at  an  end.  But  I  see  no  reason  to  change 
any  thing  I  have  written ;  and  the  work  may  stand 
as  a  record  of  the  aspect  of  the  land,  during  the  pe¬ 
riod  of  its  subjection  to  the  ruler  of  Egypt. 

It  gives  me  pleasure  to  be  able  to  add,  that  the 
wdiole  of  the  manuscript  has  been  looked  through  by 
my  companion,  Mr.  Smith ;  and  has  thus  received  the 
benefit  of  his  corrections. 

Throughout  all  the  journey  from  Cairo  to  Beirut, 
the  Rev.  James  Adger  of  Charleston,  S.  C.  was  our 
companion  and  fellow-traveller ;  except  on  the  ex¬ 
cursion  from  Jerusalem  to  Gaza  and  Wady  Musa. 

With  humble  gratitude  to  God,  I  here  bring  this 
work  to  a  close.  It  is  the  fruit  of  studies  and  plans 
of  life  running  back  for  nearly  twenty  years;  and  for 
the  last  four  years,  it  has  occupied,  more  or  less  exclu¬ 
sively,  well  nigh  all  my  waking  hours.  May  He,  who 
has  thus  far  sustained  me,  make  it  useful  for  the 
elucidation  of  His  truth  ! 

Edward  Robinson. 

JVeiv-Yoj'k ,  June ,  1841. 


FOR  THE  READER, 


I.  The  native  Orthography  of  all  Arabic  Names  occurring  in 
this  work,  will  be  found  in  the  Arabic  Index  at  the  end  of  Vol.  III. 

The  rules  for  the  Pronunciation  of  Arabic  Names  as  writ¬ 
ten  in  Roman  letters,  are  given  in  full  at  the  end  of  the  Essay- 
on  Arabic  Pronunciation  in  Vol.  Ill,  Second  Appendix,  pp.  109 — 
111.  It  is  sufficient  here  to  remark,  that  the  Consonants  are  in 
general  to  be  pronounced  as  in  English,  and  the  Vowels  as  in 
Italian  and  German.  The  following  modifications  and  specifica¬ 
tions  may  be  noted : 

Consonants. 

s  has  always  its  sharp  sound,  as  in  son. 
th  has  always  its  sharp  sound,  as  in  thick ,  thing, 
dh  represents  the  soft  sound  of  th  in  this,  then, 
gh  stands  for  the  Arabic  Ghain,  a  sound  not  known  in  the 
western  languages.  It  may  best  be  pronounced  like 
§  hard  in  get ,  give. 

kh  is  to  be  sounded  nearly  like  the  harsh  Swiss-German  ch , 

Vowels. 

а ,  usually  as  in  hat  or  Germ.  Mann. 
dy  usually  like  a  in  hare ,  or  a  in  father, 
aiy  like  i  in  pine. 

an,  like  ow  in  how. 
e ,  as  in  bed. 
eiy  as  in  vein, 
iy  as  in  pin. 
iy  like  i  in  machine. 

0,  as  in  police. 

6y  German  d  in  horen ;  nearly  the  same  as  French  eu  in  neuve* 

б,  like  long  o  in  note. 

Uy  as  m  fully  pull. 

iiy  like  oo  in  poor. 

iiy  like  short  u  in  tub ,  but. 

y  at  the  end  of  a  word,  as  in  fully. 

II.  The  Measure  of  Distance  is  usually  by  hours ,  the  length 
of  which  varies  with  the  kind  of  animal,  and  also  according  to 


XVI 


FOR  THE  READER. 


the  nature  of  the  ground.  As  a  general  average  the  following 
specification  in  miles  has  been  found  most  correct  and  con¬ 
venient  : 

Geog.  M.  Stat.  M.  Rom.  M.  Germ.  M. 

1  Hour,  with  Camels  =  2.  2\  2\  F 

1  “  with  Horses  or  Mules  =  2.4  2f  3.  f 

Note.  The  measures  of  heights  are  usually  given  in  French 
feet.  The  French  foot  contains  144  lines,  of  which  135  are  equal 
to  an  English  foot.  The  proportion  of  the  English  foot  to  the 
French,  is  therefore  as  15  to  16. 

III.  The  common  Measure  of  Land  is  the  Fedddn  (yoke), 
which  is  very  indefinite  and  variable.  In  general  it  may  be  com¬ 
pared  with  the  English  acre  and  German  Morgen. 

IV.  Corn  Measures  are  the  following  : 

1  Ardeb  is  equivalent,  very  nearly,  to  five  English  bushels. 

1  Ruba ’  is  the  twenty-fourth  part  of  an  Ardeb. 

1  Mid  (measure)  in  Palestine  contains  twelve  Rubai’s. 

V.  Weights. 

1  Rutl  or  pound  is  in  general  about  \  oz.  less  than  the 
English  pound  avoirdupois ;  but  it  is  sometimes  also 
reckoned  only  at  12  oz. 

1  Ukkah  (called  by  the  Franks  Oke)  is  about  2  f  lbs  English. 

1  Kuntdr ,  or  hundred-weight,  contains  100  Rutls. 

VI.  Money  is  everywhere  reckoned  by  Piastres ;  but  the 
value  of  these  is  fluctuating,  and  has  greatly  depreciated  within 
the  last  fifteen  or  twenty  years. 

1  Piastre  contains  40  Fuddahs ,  called  in  Turkish  Parahs. 

10  Piastres  were  equivalent  in  1838  to  1  Austrian  Florin. 

20  “  tc  “  1  Aust.  or  Amer.  Dollar. 

21  “  u  “  1  Span,  pillared  Dollar. 

100  “  “  u  about  1  Pound  Sterling. 

1  Kzs  or  Purse  is  500  Piastres,  or  about  $25  or  £5  Sterl. 

At  Constantinople  in  1838  the  Spanish  Dollar  (Colonnato)  was 
worth  23  Piastres,  and  the  other  coins  in  proportion. 

For  the  Measures,  Weights,  and  Moneys  of  Egypt,  to 
which  those  of  Syria  were  at  this  time  similar,  see  Lane’s  Mod. 
Egyptians,  II.  p.  370,  seq. 


CORRECTIONS. 


Vol.  II.  Page  325.  It  is  there  said,  that  the  former  Greek  church  in  the 
village  of  St.  George,  west  of  Bethlehem,  is  now  a  mosk.  So  we  under¬ 
stood  from  our  guide  at  the  time.  But  I  am  informed  by  my  friend,  the 
Rev.  S.  Calhoun,  Agent  of  the  American  Bible  Society  in  the  Levant, 
who  travelled  in  1839  direct  from  Gaza  to  Bethlehem,  and  lodged  for  a 
night  at  St.  George,  that  he  found  the  church  and  convent  still  tenanted 
by  two  Greek  monks,  foreigners,  speaking  the  Greek  language. 

Vol.  III.  Appendix  p.  51.  The  position  of  Tershihah  is  said  to  have 
been  taken  from  Jacotin’s  map.  This  is  an  error ;  Jacotin’s  map  has  not 
the  place.  It  was  taken  from  Berghaus ;  his  authority  is  not  known, 
but  is  very  probably  correct. 


ERRATA. 


VOL.  I. 

Page  60,  line  25,  read  Forskal.  So  elsewhere. 

101,  N.  1.  line  2,  read  Russegger.  So  elsewhere. 

285,  head-line,  cc  Eboda. 

299,  line  12,  “  Forskal. 

312,  «  23,  “  Husn. 

404,  N.  2,  line  1,  “  xxiii  for  xviii. 

526,  line  17,  20,  “  doorway,  doorways ;  for  door,  doors? 


VOL.  II. 

Page  81,  line  15,  read  sparsedly. 

93,  line  21,  27,  read  Kharaj ;  and  so  elsewhere. 

124,  N.  1,  end,  put  a  period. 

156,  bottom.  The  reference  to  Note  2,  should  stand  in  the 
bottom  line,  after  ’Ain  Y&lo.  jBy  mistake  it  now  stands  in 
the  top  line  of  the  next  page. 

292,  bott.  )  readDhurah. 

293,  top,  3 

323,  line  16,  ’Abudiyeh. 

353,  top,  “  Dubb&n. 

489,  line  24,  “  thus. 

648,  Note  XXXIV,  line  10,  read  Zu’ara. 

651,  line  2,  read,  in  some  copies,  vectes  of  Moab. 

c 


Vol.  I. 


xviii  CORRECTIONS. 

VOL.  III. 

Page  30,  N.  1.  line  8,  read  Kuleh. 

40,  N.  4,  a  10,  u  in  some  copies,  ea  ;  not  EA. 
155,  line  19,  u  Hady. 

158,  N.  5,  line  6,  “  Tulluza. 

250,  bott.  . 

279,  line  10,  (  read  Ibn  Ma’an. 

281,  line  26,  S 


APPENDIX. 

Page  17,  line  18,  after  1661.  4.  add:  1666.  4. 


ARABIC  INDEX. 

Page  210,  col.  1,  under  Ghafir,  read  Plur. 
211,  col.  2,  “  Hakl,  “ 

215,  col.  1,  “  Jedur,  “ 

11  col.  2,  “  Jubb  Jenin, 

These  errata  are  found  in  only  a  few  copies,. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 


Preface 

Directions  for  the  Reader 
Corrections  and  Errata 


Page  v. 
xv. 
xvii. 


SECTION  I. 

Introduction. — Greece  and  Egypt. 

Pages  1 — 48. 

Original  plan  of  the  journey ;  arrangement  with  Rev.  Eli  Smith,  1. 
His  qualifications,  1,  2. — Departure  from  New-York,  2.  England  and 
Germany;  early  winter,  2,  3.  Trieste,  steamers,  embarcation,  3,  4. 
Ancona,  the  Adriatic,  Corfu,  5,  6.  Theaki  or  Ithaca ,  6.  Patras,  7. 
Coast  of  Maina,  7,  8.  Approach  to  Attica,  8. 

Greece.  The  Piraeus,  8. — Athens ,  9.  Acropolis  and  Areopagus,  10. 
Paul’s  preaching,  11.  The  Pnyx  and  Demosthenes,  12.  The  Academy, 
Hymettus  and  its  honey,  13.  Sunrise  at  the  Parthenon,  14.  Character 
of  the  Greek  people,  15. — Correspondence  with  Mr.  Smith,  15,  16.  Syra, 
16,  17.  Crete ,  Canea,  17,  18.  Approach  to  Alexandria ,  19. 

Egypt.  Escape  from  quarantine,  19,  20.  Landing,  motley  crowd, 
20.  Lodgings,  21.  Ancient  city,  21,  22.  Column  of  Diocletian,  22. 
Mode  of  travelling,  22,  23.  The  canal  and  boats,  23,  24.  The  Nile  and 
its  waters,  24.  Voyage,  24,  25.  Lodgings  at  Cairo,  difficulties,  25. 
Habib  Effendi  and  his  audience,  26.  Arab  procrastination,  27.  Voyage 
up  the  Nile,  its  characteristics,  27,  28.  To  Thebes,  28.  Thebes ,  29,  30. 
Her  architecture,  30.  Tombs  of  the  kings,  31.  Sculptures,  e.  g.  Shishak, 
32.  Climate,  33.  Return  to  Cairo,  34.  The  city,  34,  35.  Roda,  Old 
Cairo,  35.  Heliopolis ,  36.  Mounds  of  the  Jews,  37.  Pyramids  of  Gi- 
zeh,  37-39.  Sakk&ra,  mummy-pits,  39.  Memphis ,  its  mounds,  40. — Mu- 
hammed  ’Aly,  40.  His  conscriptions,  41.  Forced  civilization,  41,  42. 
The  people  made  slaves,  as  of  old  by  Pharaoh,  42,  43.  Safety  in  travel¬ 
ling,  43.  Imitated  by  the  Sultan,  44.  Important  changes  to  be  expect¬ 
ed  in  the  East,  45. 

Long  cherished  purpose  of  the  journey,  46.  Instruments,  47.  Jour¬ 
nals,  47.  Books  and  Maps,  48. 


XX 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 


SECTION  II. 

From  Cairo  to  Suez. 

Pages  49 — 86. 

Preparations,  49.  Tent  and  beds,  49.  Provisions,  50.  Servants,  50. 
Arms,  51.  Costume,  51.  Firman,  51,  52.  Camels,  52.  Contract,  curi¬ 
ous  mode  of  sealing,  52,  53.  Distinction  of  Camel  and  Dromedary,  53. 
Routes  to  Suez,  53. — March  12 th.  Departure  from  Cairo,  54,  55.  Raid 
Beg,  55.  Petrified  wood,  55.  Wadys,  what,  56.  The  Arabs  happy  in 
the  desert,  56.  Encampment  56. — March  13th.  The  desert  and  petri¬ 
fied  wood,  57.  Many  Wadys,  57,  58.  Camels,  their  habits  and  fodder, 
58.  Character  of  the  desert,  58.  Black  locusts,  59. — March  14 th.  Haj- 
route,  Wady  Hufeiry,  59,  60.  ’Abeithiran,  a  plant,  60.  Jebel  ’Aweibid, 
60.  The  mirage,  61.  Our  guide  Besh&rah  and  others,  61,  62.  Their 
mode  of  sleeping,  62. — March  15 th.  The  desert  and  Jebel  ’Atfikah,  62, 
63.  Pasha’s  post,  63.  Pass  el-Muntula’  formerly  unsafe,  63,  64.  View 
near  ’Ajrud,  64,  65.  ’Ajrud,  65.  Bir  Suweis,  66.  Suez,  66-69.  Tell 
Kolzum,  69.  Gulf  of  Suez,  69.  Shoals,  70.  Desert  plain  back  of  Suez, 
70,  71.  Filling  up  of  the  end  of  the  Gulf,  71.  Tides  and  ford,  72. 
Roads  from  the  Nile  to  Suez,  73.  Shortest  route  by  the  ancient  canal, 
73,  74. 

Exodus  of  the  Israelites.  They  could  not  have  come  from  near 
Cairo,  75.  Tbeir  number,  75.  Horses  cannot  pass  across  without  wa¬ 
ter,  75. — Land  of  Goshen,  76.  Situated  on  the  eastern  part  of  the  Delta, 
77.  In  the  province  esh-Shurkiyeh,  78. — Route  from  Goshen  to  the  Red 
Sea  near  Suez,  79. — Passage  through  the  sea,  81.  Character  of  the 
miracle,  82.  The  strong  wind,  82,  83.  Time  required,  83,  84.  The 
passage  took  place  near  Suez,  84-86. 


SECTION  III. 

From  Suez  to  Mount  Sinai. 

Pages  87 — 213. 

March  16 th.  Leave  Suez ;  mounds  of  ancient  canal,  87.  Enter  Asia, 
sandy  tract,  87,  88.  Encampment,  Song  of  Moses,  88,89. — March  17 th. 
Fountain  of  Naba’,  89.  ’Ayun  Musa,  with  palm-trees,  etc.  90.  Many 
Wadys;  encamp  in  Wady  Sudr,  91.  Taset  Sudr,  Terabin,  92.  Our 
guides,  their  clothing  and  poverty,  92,  93.  Ever  wanting  money,  93. 
Alleged  obstinacy  of  the  Bedawin,  94  —March  18 th.  Remain  encamped ; 
willingness  of  the  Arabs,  94,  95.  Monks  as  fellow-travellers,  95. — March 
19 th.  Fountain  Abu  Suweirah,  95.  ’Ain  Haw&rah,  Marah,  96-98. 
The  shrub  Ghurkud  with  its  berries,  96,  97.  Sweetening  of  the  water, 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 


XXI 


98.  Wady  Ghurundel,  Elim,  99,  100.  Wady  Wutah,  100,  101. — 
March  20 th.  Jebel  Hummam  and  Hot  springs,  101.  Various  Wadys, 
102,  103.  Gazelles,  104,  105.  Bedawy  and  Indian  habits,  104.  Wady 
Taiyibeh,  104.  Country  further  south,  104, 105.  Route  of  the  Israelites, 
106.  Led  down  this  valley,  106,  107.  Did  not  all  march  in  one  body, 
106.  General  deficiency  of  water,  106.  Their  further  route,  106,  107. 

We  follow  up  Wady  Humr,  107.  Sarbut  el-Jemel,  108.  Inscriptions, 
108.  Rain-water,  109.  Mimosa  (Tiilh,  Seyal)  in  the  Wadys,  109,  110. 
— March  21  st.  Jebel  Wutah,  110.  Fountain  of  Nusb,  110.  View  of 
Jebel  et-Tih,  110-112.  Three  passes  through  it,  111,  112.  Turn  off  to 
Surabit  el-Khadim,  112.  Mysterious  Egyptian  remains  and  monuments, 
113-116.  Wady  Suwuk,  117.  Mountain-goat  (Beden),  117.  Arab 
feast  and  disappointment,  118. —  March  22 d.  Wady  Khumileh,  1 18- 
Arab  cemetery,  119.  Wady  el-Burk,  119.  Camel  gives  out,  120.  Bat¬ 
tle  and  defeat  of  the  Tawarah,  120,  121.  Wady  Lebweh,  122.  En¬ 
campment  of  Sheikh  Salih,  122.  Cemetery,  122.  Wady  Berah,  in¬ 
scriptions,  123.  Encamp,  123. — March  23 cl.  Difficulties  of  an  early 
start,  124.  Inscriptions,  124.  Projecting  veins  of  rock,  like  walls,  125. 
Old  cemetery,  125.  View  of  Mount  Serbal,  125.  Meet  Tuweileb,  126. 
Routes  to  Sinai,  125.  Approach  to  the  outer  cliffs  of  Sinai,  127,  128. 
Pass,  Nukb  Hawy,  128,  129.  View  of  (modern)  Horeb,  130.  Plain  er- 
RAhah  in  front,  130,  131.  Wady  Shu’eib  (Jethro),  with  the  convent, 
131.  Wadyel-Leja,  131.  Excitement  of  Besh&rah,  prayer  for  rain,  132. 
Arrival  and  reception  at  the  convent,  133,  134.  Rooms,  134.  Geo¬ 
graphical  position,  135. 

March  24 th.  Wady  Shu’eib,  136.  The  convent-buildings,  136.  The 
garden,  137.  Sheikh  Husein,  138.  Topography  of  the  region  and  meas¬ 
urement  of  the  plain,  139-141. — March25th,  Sunday  in  the  convent,  di¬ 
vine  service,  141,  142.  Breakfast  with  the  monks,  142,  143.  The  great 
church  and  the  chapel  of  the  Bush,  143, 144.  Cells  and  rooms  of  the  con¬ 
vent,  145.  Library,  146.  Charnel-house,  146,147.  Severity  of  Lent,  148. 

March  26 th.  Ascent  of  Jebel  Musa,  148-158.  Our  party  ;  the  supe¬ 
rior  goes  with  us,  148,  149.  No  regular  ascent  by  steps,  150.  Chapel 
of  the  Virgin,  and  legend  of  the  fleas,  etc.  150.  Portals,  151.  First 
sight  of  the  summit,  and  of  St.  Catharine,  151.  Well  and  cypress, 

151.  Character  of  this  spot,  152.  Chapels  of  Elijah  and  Elisha, 

152.  Reach  the  summit,  153.  Chapel ;  travellers’  names,  153.  Eleva¬ 
tion,  153.  Disappointment;  this?to£  the  place  where  the  law  was  given, 
aud  affords  no  wide  prospect,  154-156.  Descent  to  the  well ;  appearance 
of  rain,  156.  Visit  the  front  of  Horeb,  chapels,  156,  157.  Ascend  R&s  es- 
Sufsafeh,  157,  158.  View;  probable  place  where  the  Law  was  given, 

158.  Descent  to  el-Arba’in,  158.  Name  and  condition  of  this  convent, 

159.  Lodgings,  respect  paid  to  the  superior,  159,  160. 

March  27 th.  Ascent  of  Mount  St.  Catharine,  160-165.  Delays,  160. 
Difficult  path,  no  steps,  160,  161.  Approach  to  the  summit,  vegetation, 
view  into  the  depths  on  the  West,  161,  162.  Reach  the  summit,  chapel, 
elevation,  162.  Motive  for  ascending  the  mountain,  162.  Wide  prospect, 
163,  164.  Ignorance  of  guides,  random  answers,  164,  165.— Descent  to 


XXII 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 


el-Arba’in,  165.  Return  to  the  convent  through  el-Leja,  166.  Pretend¬ 
ed  rock  of  Moses,  166.  Inscriptions,  167.  Other  ruined  convents  and 
holy  places,  167,  168.  Respect  of  the  Arabs  for  the  superior,  168. 

March28th.  Visit  to  the  superior’s  room,  169.  Presents,  169.  Man¬ 
na,  not  that  of  the  Bible,  170.  Sandals  of  fish-skin,  171. — March  29th. 
Preparations  for  departure  ;  exchange  Besharah  for  Tuweilib,  171,  172. 
Expenses  at  the  convent,  disappointment  of  the  superior,  172,  173.  Pro¬ 
posed  visit  to  Jebel  Serbal ;  not  the  Sinai  of  the  Bible,  173,  174.  Its  ele¬ 
vation,  174.  Climate  of  Sinai,  175. 

Stnai  of  the  Old  Testament.  The  Law  probably  given  from  the 
present  Horeb,  impending  over  the  plain,  175,  176.  Probable  approach 
of  the  Israelites,  176,  177.  Use  of  the  names  Horeb  and  Sinai,  177. 
Rephidim,  178,  179.  Sinai  not  afterwards  visited  by  Jews,  179. 

Sinai  in  the  early  Christian  Ages.  Earliest  Notices,  180.  Peo¬ 
pled  with  anchorites  and  monks  in  the  4th  century,  180.  Account  given 
by  Ammonius,  181.  Massacre  of  forty  anchorites,  181,  182.  Nar¬ 
rative  of  Nilus,  another  massacre,  182,  183.  Letter  of  Marcian,  183. 
F ounding  of  the  convent  by  Justinian,  184.  Testimony  of  Eutychius,  185. 
Visit  of  Antoninus  Martyr,  185.  Feiran  (Paran)  and  its  bishops,  185, 
186.  Further  historic  notices,  187.  Early  pilgrimages,  188.  Sinaitic 
Inscriptions,  their  history  and  explanation,  188-190. 

The  Modern  Convent.  Visitors  in  the  14th  century,  190 ;  and  in  the 
15th,  191.  The  archbishop,  192,  193.  Life  of  the  monks,  193,  194.  Few 
pilgrims,  194.  Property  of  the  convent,  194,  195.  Relation  to  the  Be- 
dawin,  195.  Ghafirs  or  protectors,  196.  Food  distributed,  196. 

Arabs  of  the  Peninsula.  The  Tawarah,  their  tribes,  197-199. 
The  Muzeiny,  their  origin,  198,  199.  Jebeliyeh  or  serfs,  199-202.  Ter¬ 
ritory  of  the  Tawarah,  202.  Other  more  northern  tribes,  202.  Poverty 
of  the  Tawarah,  203.  Their  number,  204.  Ghafirs  and  quarrels,  204. 
Danger  of  war,  Lord  Lindsay,  205.  Former  war  with  the  Ma’azeh,  206. 
Common  law  of  the  Tawarah ;  the  Sheikhs  act  as  judges,  207,  208.  Pro¬ 
ceedings  in  personal  quarrels,  208-210.  Their  honesty,  210.  Bedawin 
cannot  read,  211.  Their  Muhammedanism,  211.  Can  they  be  civilized  ? 
212,  213. 


SECTION  IV. 

From  Mount  Sinai  to  ’Akabah. 

Pages  214 — 254. 

March  29th.  Departure  from  the  Convent,  beggars,  214.  Wady  esh- 
Sheikh,  and  tomb  of  Sheikh  S&lih,  215.  Encamp,  216.  New  camels,  216. 
Tuweileb’s  evening  visit,  216. — March  99th.  Various  Wadys,  217.  Wady 
Sa’l,  enters  the  mountains,  narrow  and  gloomy,  218,  219.  Approach  the 
sandy  plain  along  et-Tih,  219,  220.  Encamp ;  Tuweileb’s  children,  220, 
221. — March  31s£.  Cross  the  sandy  tract,  221,  222.  ’Ain  el-Hudhera,  Ha- 
zeroth ,  222-224.  Probable  route  of  the  Israelites,  223.  Passage  through 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I.  xxiii 

Jebel  et-Tih,  224,  225.  Encamp,  225.  Character  of  the  region,  225, 
226. — April  ls£.  Remain  encamped;  loneliness,  226. — April  2 d.  To 
Wady  Sumghy,  226-228.  Cross  over  and  descend  by  Wady  es-Sa’deh, 
to  the  coast  at  en-Nuweibi’a,  227, 228.  View  of  the  Gulf  of  ’Akabah,  228, 
229.  Wady  Wetir,  229.  Fountain  and  well  near  the  shore,  230.  En¬ 
camp,  231. 

April  3d.  Path  along  the  shore,  231.  Ras  el-Burka’,  Veil  Cape, 
231,  232.  Fine  beach  and  many  shells,  232.  Various  Wadys,  232,  233. 
Encamp,  233.  Shells  and  shell-fish  of  the  Red  Sea,  233,  234. — April  4 th. 
Promontories  on  the  coast,  back  road,  234-236.  Wady  Merakh,  place 
where  Burckhardt  turned  back,  236,  237.  Island  Kureiyeh,  the  former 
citadel  of  Ailah,  237,  238.  Approach  to  the  corner  of  the  Gulf,  238,  239. 
Caravan  of  Haweitat,  239.  Character  of  this  part  of  Wady  el-’Arabah, 
240.  Mounds  of  Ailah,  241. 

Fortress  of  ’Akabah,  241,  242.  The  Governor,  242.  Our  lodgings, 
242.  Alarm  of  fire,  243.  Visit  to  the  Governor,  243,  244. — Our  further 
journey,  Sheikh  Husein  of  the  ’Alawin,  244.  Change  our  plan  and  con¬ 
clude  to  go  to  Gaza  or  Hebron,  245. — April  5th.  Negotiations  with  our 
Tawarah,  245,  246.  Visit  of  the  Governor,  246.  New  contract,  246. 
Walk  outside  of  the  fortress  ;  character  of  the  region,  246,  247.  Supply 
of  water,  not  from  the  shore,  247.  ’Amran  hovels,  248.  Geogr.  posi¬ 
tion,  248.  Passport  and  papers,  248,  249.  Presents,  249.  Arab  weav¬ 
ing,  250. — Historical  Notices  of  Ezion-geber  and  Elath  or  Ailah,  250- 
253.  Origin  of  the  name  ’Akabah,  253.  The  Haj-route,  its  stations  and 
fortresses,  253,  254. 


SECTION  V. 

From  ’Akabah  to  Jerusalem. 

Pages  255 — 325. 

April  5th.  Departure  on  the  Haj-route,  255.  Guides  of  the  'Amr&n, 

255.  Ascent  of  the  western  mountain,  255.  Encampment  and  prospect, 

256.  — April  6 th.  Ascent  continued  ;  Gate  of  the  Pass,  257.  Artificial 
road,  257,  258.  Head  of  the  Pass,  258.  Leave  the  Haj-road  and  turn 
towards  Hebron,  259.  Character  and  elevation  of  this  desert,  259,  260. 
Turf  er-Rukn,  260.  Encamp,  261.  This  desert  as  yet  unknown,  261- 
263. — April  1th,  View  of  Jebel  ’Ar&if,  263,  264.  Watering-place,  265. 
Camels  and  their  young,  265.  Wady  Jer&feh  the  great  drain  of  this 
desert,  265.  Waters  all  flow  off  north,  266.  Showers,  encamp,  267. 
Our  ’Amr&n  guides,  267.  Their  country,  268.  Wadys  and  fountains 
along  the  ’Arabah,  268. — April  8th,  Remain  encamped ;  sacrifice  of  the 
Arabs,  269. — April  9 th.  Night-alarm,  269,  270.  Bedawy  dog,  269,  270. 
Division  of  waters  between  the  ’Arabah  and  the  Mediterranean,  271. 
Jebel  ’Arfiif,  form  and  character,  272.  Corpse  half  buried,  273.  Wady 
el-Mayein,  encamp,  273,  274.  Country  of  the  Haiwftt  and  Tiy&hah,  etc. 


XXIV 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 


274.  Mountainous  tract  N.  of  Jebel  ’Araif,  274,  275.  Ancient  Roman 
road,  275.  This  route  not  taken  by  the  Israelites,  276. 

April  10 th.  Wady  Lussan,  Lysa  ?  276,277.  Traces  of  ploughing,  277, 
278.  Adventure  of  our  guide,  278.  Various  Wadys,  279,  280.  Wady 
Kusaimeh  and  wells,  280.  Wady  el-’ Ain,  traces  of  former  cultivation, 
encamp,  281. — April  11th.  Patches  of  grain,  282.  Ras  es-Seram,  plain 
and  Wady,  282,  283.  Songs  of  birds,  283.  Send  for  water  to  el-Birein, 
283.  Turn  off  to  the  ruins  of ’Aujeh  or  Abdeh,  Ehoda ,  283-287.  Cav¬ 
ern,  church,  and  large  fortress,  285,  286.  Return  to  our  road,  287.  Vio¬ 
lent  Sirocco,  287,  288.  Sheikh  el-’Amry  and  Wady  el-Abyad,  Arab 
cemetery,  288.  Encamp  at  Ruhaibeh,  289.  Violence  and  danger  ol 
tempest,  289.  Extensive  ruins  of  an  unknown  ancient  city,  290,  291. 

Roads  from  Sinai  and  ’Akabah  to  Gaza  and  Hebron,  all  uniting  into 
one  track,  291-293.  The  high  western  desert  composed  of  two  long  ba¬ 
sins,  that  of  the  Jerafeh  and  that  of  Wady  el-’Arish,  293,  294.  The  whole 
region  rises  towards  the  south  quite  to  Sinai,  294,  295. 

April  12 th.  Wady  er -Ruhaibeh  and  ruins  on  each  side,  295.  Wady 
el-Kurn  and  well,  296.  Ruins  of  Khulasah,  Elusa ,  296-298.  Uncertainty 
as  to  the  course  of  the  Kurn,  etc.  298,  299.  The  Retem  or  broom-plant, 
not  juniper  ;  here  Elisha  sat  down  under  it,  299.  View  of  the  mountains 
of  Judah,  300.  Beersheba ,  now  Bir  es-Seba’,  300.  Its  wells  and  ruins, 
300-303.  Encamp,  Arab  feast,  304.  Haweitat  guide,  305. — April  13 th. 
Wide  and  fine  plain,  305,  306.  Enter  the  mountains,  307.  Reach  Dho- 
heriyeh,  308.  Difficulty  in  procuring  camels,  308,  309.  Dismiss  our  Ta- 
warah,  309,  310.  Claims  of  Tuweileb,  309,  310.  Regret  at  parting,  310, 
311.  Situation  and  statistics  of  Dhoheriyeh,  311.  Country  and  pros¬ 
pects  around,  312. 

April  14 th.  Set  off  soon  after  midnight,  difficulties,  312,  313.  Dark¬ 
ness,  peasants  dwelling  in  caves,  313.  Strong  camels,  314.  Approach  to 
Hebron,  vineyards,  314.  View  of  Hebron,  impression,  314,  315.  Histori¬ 
cal  associations,  315.  Hasty  view  and  departure,  316.  Path  among 
vineyards,  ancient  road,  316,  317.  No  wheels  could  ever  pass  here,  317. 
R&met  el-Khulil,  immense  walls,  probable  site  of  Abraham’s  terebinth, 
318,  319.  Neby  Yunas  orHulhul,  Halhul ,  319.  Bushy  tract,  320.  Long 
valley,  Solomon’s  Pools,  321.  Push  on,  leaving  Bethlehem  on  the  right, 
322.  Rachel’s  tomb,  the  site  cannot  well  be  questioned,  322,  323.  M&r 
Ely&s,  wide  view,  323.  Horses  of  pilgrims,  323.  First  view  of  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  323.  Plain  of  Rephaim,  323,  324.  Vallies  of  Hinnom  and  Jeho- 
ahaphat,  324.  Enter  the  Holy  City,  324,  325. 


SECTION  VI. 

Jerusalem. — Incidents  and  First  Impressions. 

Pages  326 — 370. 

Emotions,  326.  American  Missionaries,  327.  General  appearance 
of  the  city  and  population,  328.  Easter  Sunday,  330.  Latin  Mass  in 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 


XXV 

the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  330.  English  Protestant  service,  331. 
Arabic  preaching,  332.  Objects  of  the  American  Mission,  332,  333.  Cor¬ 
respondence  from  Jerusalem,  333.  General  meeting  of  the  Mission,  334. 
The  Lord’s  Supper,  335.  Our  plans  and  method  of  proceeding,  335,  336. 

Walks  in  and  around  the  City. 

Mount  Zion ,  etc.  and  the  Christian  cemeteries,  337.  Grave  of  an 
American,  338.  Grave  and  story  of  Costigan,  339.  Cemetery  of  the 
Mission,  340.  Tyropoeon  and  Siloam,  341.  Kefr  Selwan  and  Foun¬ 
tain  of  the  Virgin,  342.  The  Kidron,  343.  E.  wall  of  the  Haram,  343. 
Bethesda,  Church  of  St.  Anne,  344.  Via  dolorosa,  344. 

Getlisemane ,  Mount  of  Olives ,  etc.  Grotto  of  Jeremiah,  345.  Church 
and  Tomb  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  345,  346.  Gethsemane,  346.  Mount  of 
Olives  and  prospect  from  it,  347-349. 

Jews’  Place  of  Wailing ,  etc.  Our  visit,  349,  350.  Antiquity  of  the 
custom,  350.  Plat  and  garden  at  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the  Haram,  351. 
City  wall,  352. 

Upper  Pool ,  Gihon ,  etc.  352.  Marble  tesserae,  353. 

Valley  of  Hinnom^  etc.  353.  Tomb,  354.  Well  of  Job,  354. 

Tombs  of  the  Kings  and  Judges ,  Mount  Zion ,  etc.  Tombs  of  the  kings, 
354.  Wely  and  its  keeper  near  by,  355.  Tombs  of  the  Judges,  355. 
Scopus,  356.  Gates  of  the  city  shut  on  Friday  noon,  356.  Second  visit 
to  Mount  Zion,  356.  Tomb  of  David,  Coenaculum,  356,357.  Historical 
Notices,  357,  358.  House  of  Caiaphas,  now  an  Armenian  convent,  358,  359, 
Leprous  persons,  359.  Jews’  quarter  and  synagogue,  359,  360. 

El-Haram,  etc.  View  of  the  interior  of  the  area  of  the  Haram,  360, 
361.  The  citadel,  361. 

Solitude  around  the  Holy  City,  362.  Indifference  of  the  people,  363, 
Intercourse  with  the  natives,  363,  364.  The  Governor,  364.  The  Mufti, 
364.  Abu  Ghush,  365.  War  with  the  Druzes,  365,  366.  Rumours  and 
uncertainty,  robberies,  366,  367.  Breaking  out  of  the  plague,  367,  368, 
Other  travellers,  369,  370. 


SECTION  VII. 

Jerusalem. — Topography  and  Antiquities. 

Pages  371 — 539. 

Origin  of  the  ecclesiastical  tradition  respecting  the  topography  of 
the  Holy  Land,  371,  372.  Its  permanency,  372,  373.  Its  character,  373, 
374.  01‘  no  value  in  itself,  374.  The  Onomasticon,  375.  Native  tradi¬ 

tion,  its  character  and  permanency,  375,  376.  Not  yet  sought  after,  376, 

377.  Principles  adopted  in  our  researches,  377.  Plan  of  proceedings, 

378,  379. 

I.  General  Topography,  380.  Names  of  the  city,  380.  Situated  on 
a  high  mountain-tract,  380.  Character  of  the  deep  vallies,  380,  Grad- 

VOL.  I.  D 


XXVI 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 


ual  rise  from  N.  to  S.  381.  Geographical  position  of  Jerusalem,  381. 
Great  valley  towards  the  West,  381,  382.  Approach  to  the  city,  382. 
Site  on  the  fork  of  two  vallies,  382.  Surface  and  character  of  the  ground, 
383.  The  country  around,  384. 

II.  The  City,  its  Interior,  etc.  384.  The  Walls,  their  date,  char¬ 
acter,  and  appearance,  384,  385. — The  Gates ,  i.  e.  the  present  gates,  386, 
387.  Gates  closed  up,  387,  388. — Mount  Zion ,  388.  Sharp  ascent  from 
the  North,  388.  Steepness  of  the  other  sides  and  elevation,  389.  Level 
summit,  390.  Precipice  of  rock  on  the  East,  390.  Sewer,  390. — Akra, 
north  of  Zion,  391.  Ascent  from  the  South  and  on  the  other  sides,  391. 
— Bezetha,  393. — Moriah ,  393.  Built  up  in  order  to  found  the  temple, 

393.  Acclivity  on  the  western  side,  393,  394. — Ophel,  394.  Chief  streets, 

394.  Circumference  of  the  Holy  City,  395. 

III.  Adjacent  Vallies  and  Hills,  396. —  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat, 
its  name,  396.  Its  beginning  near  the  tombs  of  the  Judges,  397.  Its 
course  and  character  to  the  city,  397,  398.  Breadth  and  depth  opposite 
Gethsemane,  399.  Do.  opposite  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the  Harain,  399, 
400.  Thence  to  the  well  of  Job,  400,  401.  Below  the  well  of  Job,  401, 
402.  The  brook  Kidron,  now  dry,  402. — Valley  of  Ilinnom  ;  its  name, 
beginning,  course,  402-404.  Gardens,  404. — Mount  of  Olives  ;  its  name 
and  character,  405.  Elevation  and  bearings,  406.  Scopus,  406,  407. — 
Hill  of  Evil  Counsel ,  its  character,  407.  Ruined  village  on  the  summit, 
408.  Name,  408. 

IV.  Topography  of  Josephus,  408.  His  description  of  the  hills  and 
vallies,  409,  410.  The  walls,  410,  411.  Other  notices  of  relative  position, 
411-413.  Results,  413.  Compare  well  with  the  present  topography, 
414,  415. 

V.  Area  of  the  Ancient  Temple,  415.  The  specifications  of  Jo¬ 
sephus  to  be  received  with  caution,  415.  His  description  of  the  temple, 
416-418.  Present  area  of  the  Haram,  its  character  and  extent,  419. 
Height  and  character  of  the  walls,  420-422.  Immense  stones,  422,  423. 
Hewn  and  bevelled,  423.  Are  of  Jewish  architecture,  424.  Remains  of 
an  immense  arch  at  the  S.  W.  corner,  belonging  to  the  ancient  bridge 
leading  to  Zion,  424,  425.  Long  forgotten,  426.  Identifies  the  wall  as 
belonging  to  the  ancient  temple,  427.  Also  the  southern  and  eastern, 
walls,  428.  Alleged  height  of  the  ancient  walls  and  porticos,  428-430. 
Ancient  area  compared  with  the  present,  430,  431.  The  present  area 
probably  enlarged  by  taking  in  that  of  the  fortress  Antonia,  431.  Ac¬ 
count  of  Antonia,  431,  432.  Conjecture  as  to  its  extent,  432,  433.  The 
present  pool  Bethesda  probably  the  ancient  trench  of  Antonia,  433,  434. 
Its  extent  and  depth,  434.  The  fortress  was  separated  from  the  temple, 
435,  436. 

Our  Saviour’s  prophetic  denunciation  against  the  temple  fearfully 
fulfilled,  436.  How  the  present  remains  came  to  be  preserved,  437. 
Adrian’s  temple  of  Jupiter,  437.  The  Golden  Gateway  probably  of  the 
same  date,  437.  Constantine  did  not  meddle  with  the  temple-area,  438. 
Justinian’s  church,  probably  the  mosk  el-Aksa,  438,  439.  Capture  of  Je¬ 
rusalem  by  the  Muhammedans  and  building  of  the  great  mosk,  440,  441. 


CONTENTS  OF  YOL.  I.  Xxvii 

Capture  by  the  crusaders  and  massacre  in  the  Haram,  441,  442.  The 
Haram  transformed  into  a  church,  442, 443.  Recapture  by  Saladin,  443. 
The  rock  es-Sukrah,  444.  Broken  columns,  seat  of  Muhammed,  445. 
Reservoirs  under  the  Haram,  445,  446.  Vaults  beneath  the  area  of  the 
Haram,  mentioned  by  travellers,  446.  Explored  by  Bonomi  and  Cath- 
erwood,  their  character  and  extent,  447-450.  Ancient  subterranean 
gateway  under  el-Aksa,  450, 451.  Josephus’  account  of  vaults,  451,  452. 

VI.  Tower  of  Hippicus,  etc.  453.  Described  by  Josephus,  453. 
The  present  citadel,  454.  Ancient  tower,  455.  Its  measurements  and 
character,  456.  Probably  Hippicus,  457. — Towers  of  Phasaelus  and 
Mariamne,  457. 

VII.  Ancient  and  Later  Walls,  458.  First  or  earliest  Wall,  as 
described  by  Josephus,  459.  Its  course  on  the  east  side  of  the  city,  460. 
Probably  there  was  a  wall  between  Zion  and  Ophel,  461. — Second  Wall 
as  described  by  Josephus,  461,  462.  Reasons  why  it  probably  did  not 
run  in  a  straight  course,  462,  463.  Ancient  towers  near  the  Damascus 
gate,  probably  the  guard-houses  of  an  ancient  gate  of  this  wall,  463,  464. 
—  Third  Wall ,  as  described  by  Josephus,  464,  465.  Traces  found  by  us, 
465-467. — Circumference  of  the  ancient  city,  467. — Walls  of  Adrian  and 
of  the  middle  ages,  historical  notices,  467-471. 

VIII.  Ancient  and  Later  Gates,  471.  Ancient  Gates ;  uncertain¬ 
ty  of  the  investigation,  471,  472.  Probable  position  of  a  few,  473.  Ne- 
hemiah’s  night-excursion,  474. —  Gates  of  the  Middle  Ages  ;  on  the  West 
475.  On  the  North,  475.  On  the  East,  476.  On  the  South,  478. 

IX.  Supply  of  Water,  479.  Jerusalem,  though  almost  without 
fountains  and  wells,  has  never  suffered  for  want  of  water,  even  when 
besieged,  479. — Cisterns ,  4S0.  These  furnish  the  main  supply,  4S1,  482. 
— Reservoirs,  483.  Upper  Pool,  483,  484.  Lower  Pool,  485,  486.  Pool 
of  Bathsheba,  486.  Pool  of  Hezekiah,  487.  Bethesda  or  Sheep  Pool, 
489. — Fountains ,  490.  Well  of  Nehemiah  or  Job,  the  ancient  En-Rogel, 
490-493.  Siloam,  493-498.  Fountain  of  the  Virgin,  498-500.  Subter¬ 
ranean  passage  between  this  fountain  and  Siloam,  500.  We  pass  through 
it,  501-504.  Object  of  it,  504.  Water  of  the  two  fountains,  504,  505. 
Irregular  flow  witnessed  by  us,  505-507.  Is  this  the  “  troubling  of  the 
waters  7”  507,  508. — Fountain  under  the  Haram,  508.  Our  inquiries 
and  attempts  to  explore  it,  508-512.  Fountain  of  Gihon,  was  probably 
on  the  west  of  the  city  and  was  stopped  by  Hezekiah,  512-514. —  The 
Aqueduct  from  Solomon’s  Pools,  probably  ancient,  514-516. 

X.  Cemeteries,  Tombs,  etc.  516.  Burial-places  of  the  Christians, 
Muhammedans,  and  Jews,  516,  517. — Sepulchral  Monuments ,  viz.  Tombs 
of  Absalom,  Zechariah,  etc.  517-520.  Their  character  and  probable 
date,  520-522. — Sepidchres  ;  their  general  character,  522.  Tombs  south 
of  Hinnom,  inscriptions,  523,  524.  The  Aceldama,  524,  525.  Tomb 
with  paintings,  etc.  526.  Tombs  of  the  Judges  described,  527,  528. — 
Tomb  of  Helena,  commonly  called  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  528.  Descrip¬ 
tion  and  plan,  528-532.  Excavations  by  us,  533.  General  character, 
533,  534.  Perhaps  a  regal  style  of  tombs,  534,  535.  Proofs  that  it  be¬ 
longed  to  Helena,  536-538.  Tombs  of  the  Prophets,  539. 


xxviii  CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Note  I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 


XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 


Diocletian’s  Column,  at  Alexandria,  541. 

Irrigation  in  Egypt.  “  Watering  with  the  foot,”  541. 
Th  ebes.  The  Sea  put  for  the  Nile,  542. 

Theban  Tombs,  543. 

Cairo.  Booksellers;  the  Magician,  543. 

Egypt.  Books  for  Travellers,  543. 

Rate  of  Travel,  with  Camels  and  Horses,  544. 

Suez.  Historical  Notices,  545. 

Wady  Tawarik.  Not  called  Wady  et-Tih ,  546. 
Valley  of  the  Seven  Wells.  Mr.  Smith’s  Letter, 
547. 

Ancient  Canal,  between  the  Nile  and  Red  Sea.  The 
French  Measurements  doubtful,  547-549. 

Pelusiac  Nile.  Not  anciently  navigable,  549. 
Heroopolis.  Where  situated,  549. 

Manna.  References  and  analysis,  550. 

Horeb  and  Sinai.  Use  of  these  names,  551. 

Piiaran,  Feiran,  552. 

Sinaitic  Inscriptions.  Deciphered  by  Professor 
Beer ;  his  results  and  views.  One  at  Petra.  552-556. 
The  Convent  and  its  Serfs.  Extract  from  Eu- 
tychius,  556. 

Passport,  from  the  Governor  of  ’Akabah.  Transla¬ 
tion,  558. 

Haj  Stations,  and  Convoy,  559. 

’Abdeh,  Eboda.  Doubts  and  Notices,  560. 

Routes,  from  Sinai  across  the  Desert  to  Gaza  and  He¬ 
bron,  and  Elevations,  561-565. 

Elusa.  Name,  etc.  565. 

Mount  of  Olives.  Northern  Summit,  565. 

Zion  and  Akra,  according  to  Clarke  and  Olshausen, 

566. 

Tombs  South  of  Hinnom.  Presumption  of  Dr.  Clarke, 

567. 


XXVII.  Tomb  of  Helena.  Extract  from  Pausanias,  569. 
XXVIII.  Tomb  of  PIelena.  Carelessness  of  Writers.  Dr. 
Clarke  and  Chateaubriand,  570. 


SECTION  I. 


INTRODUCTION. - GREECE  AND  EGYPT. 

The  following  work  contains  tlie  description  of  a 
journey,  which  had  been  the  object  of  my  ardent 
wishes,  and  had  entered  into  all  my  plans  of  life,  for 
more  than  fifteen  years.  During  a  former  residence 
of  several  years  in  Europe,  from  A.  D.  1826  to  1830, 
I  had  hoped  that  a  fit  opportunity  for  such  a  journey 
would  have  presented  itself ;  but  for  much  of  that  time 
Syria  was  the  seat  of  war  and  commotion ;  and  this, 
combined  with  other  circumstances,  dissuaded  me  from 
making  the  attempt.  In  the  year  1832,  the  Eev.  Eli 
Smith,  American  Missionary  at  Beirut,  made  a  visit 
to  the  United  States;  having  recently  returned  from  a 
long  journey  with  the  Eev.  Mr.  Dwight  to  Armenia 
and  Persia.  He  had  in  former  days  been  my  pupil 
and  friend ;  and  a  visit  to  the  Holy  Land  naturally 
became  a  topic  of  conversation  between  us.  It  was 
agreed,  that  we  would,  if  possible,  make  such  a  jour¬ 
ney  together  at  some  future  time ;  and  the  same  gene¬ 
ral  plan  was  then  marked  out,  which  we  have  since 
been  permitted  to  execute.  A  prominent  feature  of 
the  plan  was,  to  penetrate  from  Mount  Sinai  by  ’Aka- 
bah  to  Wady  Musa,  and  thence  to  Hebron  and  Jeru¬ 
salem  ;  not  knowing  at  the  time  that  any  part  of  this 
route  had  been  already  explored ;  though  it  lias  since 

Vol.  I.  1 


2 


INTRODUCTORY. 


[Sec.  I. 


become  almost  a  highway  for  travellers.  I  count  my¬ 
self  fortunate  in  having  been  thus  early  assured  of  the 
company  of  one,  who,  by  his  familiar  and  accurate 
knowledge  of  the  Arabic  language,  by  his  acquaintance 
with  the  people  of  Syria,  and  by  the  experience  gained 
in  former  extensive  journeys,  was  so  well  qualified  to 
alleviate  the  difficulties  and  overcome  the  obstacles 
which  usually  accompany  oriental  travel.  Indeed,  to 
these  qualifications  of  my  companion,  combined  with 
his  taste  for  geographical  and  historical  researches, 
and  his  tact  in  eliciting  and  sifting  the  information  to 
be  obtained  from  an  Arab  population,  are  mainly  to 
be  ascribed  the  more  important  and  interesting  results 
of  our  journey.  For  I  am  well  aware,  that  had  I  been 
compelled  to  travel  with  an  ordinary  uneducated  in¬ 
terpreter,  I  should  naturally  have  undertaken  much 
less  than  we  together  have  actually  accomplished ; 
while  many  points  of  interest  would  have  been  over¬ 
looked,  and  many  inquiries  would  have  remained  with¬ 
out  satisfactory  answers.1 

Embarking  with  my  family  at  New- York,  July 
17th,  1837,  we  had  a  favourable  voyage  across  the 
Atlantic,  and  landed  at  Liverpool  on  the  eighteenth 
day.  We  passed  on  to  London;  stopping  for  a  few 
days  in  Leamington  and  its  charming  environs ;  and 
also  a  few  days  amid  the  calm  dignity  of  Oxford  and 
its  scholastic  halls.  In  London  it  was  now  the  season 
when  “  all  the  world  is  out  of  town  yet  some  vete¬ 
rans  in  oriental  travel  were  still  there ;  and  I  received 
many  hints  of  information,  which  were  afterwards  of 
great  use  to  me.  After  a  few  weeks,  we  proceeded 
by  Antwerp  and  Brussels  to  Cologne  ;  and  thence  by 
easy  land-journeys  up  the  glorious  Rhine  to  Frankfort ; 

1)  The  results  of  Mr.  Smith’s  in  the  work  entitled,  “Researches  in 
Journey  to  Armenia  above  alluded  Armenia ,  etc.  by  Messrs.  Smith  and 
to,  have  been  given  to  the  public  Dwight.”  Bost.  1833.  Lond.  1834. 


Sec.  I.] 


TRIESTE. 


3 


and  so  by  Weimar  and  Halle  to  Berlin.  Here  I  had 
hoped  to  learn  much  from  Ritter,  as  to  many  points 
of  inquiry  lying'  out  of  my  own  department ;  but  he  was 
absent,  himself  engaged  in  exploring  the  classic  soil 
of  Greece  and  its  remoter  islands. 

Leaving  my  family  with  their  friends  in  Germany, 
i  set  off  from  Berlin  on  the  13th  Nov.  by  way  of  Halle ; 
where  Gesenius,  Tholuck,  and  Roediger,  suggested 
many  topics  of  importance  in  respect  to  the  researches 
on  which  I  was  about  to  enter.  My  course  was  now 
by  Vienna  to  Trieste.  The  whole  journey  was  ex¬ 
ceedingly  uncomfortable, — a  constant  succession  of 
cold  storms  of  rain  and  snow,  heavy  roads,  and  all  the 
discomforts  and  dreariness  of  an  early  winter.  During 
the  whole  interval  from  Berlin  to  Trieste,  the  sun  ap¬ 
peared  only  on  two  days  ;  and  then  but  for  a  short 
time.  I  entered  Trieste  in  a  driving  snow-storm,  which 
abated  for  a  time  only  to  change  its  character  and 
return  with  new  vehemence  in  another  form, — as  a 
furious  Levanter,  accompanied  by  torrents  of  rain. 
The  next  morning,  Nov.  30th,  all  traces  of  winter  had 
disappeared,  except  the  snows  along  the  summits  of 
the  Friulian  Alps.  The  brilliant  sky  of  Italy  was 
again  cloudless ;  and  balmy  breezes,  as  of  spring,  were 
playing  upon  the  bright  waters  of  the  Adriatic.  It 
was  an  almost  instantaneous  change  from  winter  in 
its  rudest  forms,  to  the  brightness  and  deliciousness  of 
May.  I  could  not  but  hail  the  change  with  gratitude, 
and  regard  it  as  a  favourable  omen ;  and  from  that 
time  onward  the  progress  of  my  journey  was  never 
retarded  for  an  hour,  nor  scarcely  for  a  moment  ren¬ 
dered  uncomfortable,  by  any  unfavourable  state  of  the 
weather. 

I  had  chosen  the  route  by  Trieste  as  the  shortest ; 
and  was  gratified  to  find  that  it  had  been  recently 
rendered  still  shorter  by  the  arrangement  of  the  steam- 


4 


TRIESTE. 


[Sec.  I. 


ers  of  the  Austrian  Lloyd  to  run  twice  a  month,  both 
to  Constantinople  and  Alexandria.  In  London  I  had 
made  diligent  inquiry ;  but  w7as  unable  to  learn,  with 
certainty,  that  any  steamer  was  running  from  Trieste 
to  the  Levant.  In  Berlin  too  I  had  made  similar 
inquiries,  especially  at  the  embassies  of  England,  Aus¬ 
tria,  and  Bavaria,  with  no  better  success  ;  but  finally 
obtained  the  desired  information  at  the  Post  Office. 
This  route  also  afforded  two  important  advantages 
over  the  Danube  route  from  Vienna  to  Constantinople ; 
first,  because  I  could  thus  pass  a  fortnight  at  Athens, 
and  yet  reach  Egypt  at  the  allotted  time  ;  and  further, 
because  I  could  thus  enter  Egypt  from  Greece  without 
quarantine ;  while  all  persons  coming  to  Egypt  from 
any  part  of  the  Turkish  empire,  were  subjected  to  a 
quarantine  of  three  weeks. 

On  the  1st  of  December  I  embarked  at  Trieste ; 
having  been  joined  almost  at  the  last  moment  by  two 
young  countrymen,  who  continued  to  be  my  compan¬ 
ions  in  Egypt,  and  one  of  them  also  in  the  Holy  Land. 
Our  vessel  was  the  Giovanni  Arciduca  d’ Austria, 
under  the  command  of  Capt.  Pietro  Marasso,  one  of 
the  most  intelligent  and  gentlemanly  commanders, 
whom  it  has  been  my  fortune  to  meet  with.  Seven 
months  afterwards,  I  found  this  fine  steamer  plying 
between  Syra  and  Alexandria  ;  and  Capt.  Marasso 
in  command  of  the  Mahmoudie,  a  larger  vessel  run¬ 
ning  between  Syra  and  Constantinople. — It  was  a 
lovely  sunset  as  we  glided  out  of  the  harbour  of 
Trieste  ;  a  flood  of  golden  light  was  poured  upon  the 
glassy  waters  and  upon  the  eastern  mountain,  sprinkled 
with  white  cottages  and  country-seats,  from  which  it 
was  reflected  back  upon  the  city  and  shipping  below. 
W e  passed  swiftly  by  the  Gulf  of  Capo  ddstria ;  saw 
the  lights  of  Isola  and  the  light-house  of  Pirano  ;  and 
then  in  darkness  laid  our  course  for  Ancona. 


Sec.  I.] 


CORFU. 


The  next  morning  was  bright  and  beautiful ;  be¬ 
fore  us  was  the  Italian  coast,  over  which  towered  the 
snow-capped  ridges  of  the  Appenines.  At  9  o’clock 
we  cast  anchor  in  the  rock-bound  and  picturesque  har¬ 
bour  of  Ancona ;  where  we  lay  till  towards  evening, 
and  then  pursued  our  way  along  the  Adriatic.  The 
next  day  we  were  plunging  against  a  head  wind 
through  the  midst  of  the  broadest  part  of  the  sea ; 
where  the  islands  and  coasts  on  each  side  were  only 
occasionally  visible.  Monte  Gargano  alone,  on  the 
Italian  coast,  was  seen  the  whole  day.  But  the  morn¬ 
ing  of  the  4th  was  brilliant  and  exciting.  At  sunrise 
we  were  in  the  channel  of  Otranto,  abreast  of  the 
little  island  Saseno  and  Cape  Linguetta  ;  while  before 
us  on  the  left  the  eye  rested  in  fascination  upon  the 
lofty  summits  of  the  Acroceraunian  mountains,  the 
terror  of  ancient  mariners, — wild,  dark,  desolate  peaks, 
as  if  scathed  and  blasted  by  lightning  ;  whence  their 
name.  The  sun  was  now  rising  over  them  in  splen¬ 
dour.  The  Albanian  coast  continues  onward  in  high, 
rocky  ridges ;  desolate,  but  picturesque.  For  a  long 
distance  there  was  no  trace  of  human  habitations. 
Afterwards,  a  few  miserable  villages  were  seen  cling¬ 
ing  to  the  rocky  side  of  the  mountains  ;  but  no  appear¬ 
ance  of  tillage,  and  hardly  of  vegetation.  In  the 
afternoon  we  approached  the  Island  of  Corfu,  and 
passing  onward  through  the  enchanting  scenery  of  its 
channel,  dropped  our  anchor  at  evening  in  its  harbour, 
between  the  little  island  of  Yido  and  the  city.  The 
whole  region,  the  island,  the  harbour,  and  the  opposite 
Albanian  coast,  are  exceedingly  picturesque ;  and  in 
the  impression  which  they  make,  reminded  me  strongly 
of  the  Bay  of  Naples ;  though  every  thing  here  is  on  a 
much  smaller  scale. 

We  remained  at  Corfu  until  the  evening  of  the  fol¬ 
lowing  day,  Dec.  5th.  We  went  on  shore,  visited  the 


6 


GREECE. 


[Sec,  L 


various  quarters  of  the  city,  enjoyed  the  prospect  from 
the  light-house  on  the  high  rock  of  the  citadel,  and 
mingled  with  the  people.  They  were  the  first  speci¬ 
men  we  saw  of  a  Greek  population ;  and  I  must  do 
the  Greek  nation  the  justice  to  say,  that  they  were 
also  the  worst.  The  streets  were  thronged  with  rag¬ 
ged,  cut-throat  looking  fellows, — fierce,  rugged,  wea¬ 
ther-worn  visages,  who  might  well  have  sat  for  Byron’s 
pictures.  Our  old  friends,  the  Lazzaroni  of  Naples, 
are  gentlemen  in  comparison.  And  yet  these  Corfuites 
might  afford  to  look  down  upon  some  boat-loads  of 
wild  Albanian  peasants,  which  we  saw  in  the  harbour. 
The  government  of  the  Ionian  Islands,  under  the  direc¬ 
tion  and  influence  of  the  English  Lord  High  Commis¬ 
sioner,  has  established  many  schools,  in  which  the 
Scriptures  are  read.  Mr.  Lowndes,  the  intelligent 
Missionary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  is  the 
General  Superintendent  of  all  these  schools  throughout 
the  Islands ;  and  had  just  returned  from  a  tour  in  which 
he  had  visited  eighty  schools.  No  religious  instruction 
is  given  in  them,  beyond  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures, 
According  to  the  estimate  of  Mr.  L.,  who  had  resided 
twenty-two  years  in  Corfu,  the  city  contains  about 
16,000  inhabitants ;  and  the  whole  island  about  35,000, 
Other  estimates  vary  much  from  this. 

Leaving  Corfu  at  sunset,  we  saw  during  the  even¬ 
ing  the  islands  of  Paxos  and  Anti-Paxos  ;  and  passed 
at  night  through  the  channel  between  Santa  Maura 
and  Theaki,  the  ancient  Ithaca.  We  of  course  lost 
the  sight  of  Sappho’s  Leap  on  the  western  coast  of 
the  former.  The  morning  found  us  some  distance  S. 
E.  of  the  latter  island ;  of  which  we  had  a  distinct, 
though  not  a  close  view ;  yet  enough  to  awaken  all 
our  classic  feelings,  and  call  up  vividly  before  us 
Ulysses  and  the  great  “  Father  of  Song.”  Both  these 
islands,  as  also  Cephalonia,  present  the  aspect  of  dark, 


Sec.  L] 


PATRAS. 


7 


high,  rocky  mountains,  with  little  appearance  of 
fertility. 

We  entered  the  Bay  of  Patras,  and  anchored  in  its 
roadstead  for  some  hours.  The  hay  is  shut  in  by 
mountains,  which  exclude  the  winds.  The  weather 
was  warm  and  sunny,  like  a  day  of  June.  Patras  is 
a  large  straggling  village  with  about  7000  inhabitants, 
lying  at  the  foot  of  the  western  slope  of  Mount  Voda, 
the  ancient  Panachaicon.  Above  the  village  is  a  dis¬ 
mantled  fortress ;  from  which  there  is  a  fine  prospect 
of  the  bay  and  its  shores.  The  plain  of  Patras  is  fer¬ 
tile  and  tolerably  well  tilled.  On  the  north  of  the 
bay  is  the  ancient  Aetolia ;  here  one  sees  the  modern 
Missilonghi  on  the  coast ;  and  further  east  the  mouth 
of  the  Eurotas;  and  far  in  the  N.  E.  the  snowy  .sum¬ 
mits  of  Oeta  and  Parnassus.  An  hour  or  more  N.  E. 
of  Patras  is  the  narrow  entrance  to  the  Gulf  of  Le- 
panto,  defended  by  two  fortresses  on  low  opposite 
points ;  and  just  beyond  is  the  town  of  Lepanto  on  the 
northern  coast. — From  Patras  the  mail  is  usually  sent 
by  land  to  Athens,  across  the  isthmus  of  Corinth ;  and 
travellers  also  often  take  this  route. 

Towards  evening  we  were  again  upon  our  way ; 
and  passed  during  the  night  along  the  coast  of  Arcadia, 
The  next  morning,  soon  alter  sunrise,  we  were  running 
close  in  shore  and  near  to  Navarino  and  Modon;  and 
then,  rounding  the  islands  of  Sapienza  and  Cabrera, 
we  struck  across  the  bay  of  Koron  to  the  coast  of 
Maina.  Here  the  frowning  peaks  of  Pentedaktylon, 
the  ancient  Taygetus,  rose  in  majesty  before  our  view, 
the  loftiest  and  most  rugged  summits  of  the  Pelopon¬ 
nesus.  These  mountains,  the  back-bone  of  ancient 
Laconia,  are  still  inhabited  by  a  brave  and  high-spirited 
people,  the  Mainotes ;  who  boast  that  they  are  of  pure 
Spartan  descent,  and  that  they  have  never  been  con¬ 
quered.  The  events  of  recent  years,  however,  seem 


8 


GREECE. 


[Sec.  I. 


to  call  in  question  the  latter  of  these  assertions ;  while 
a  sprinkling  of  Slavic  words  and  names  of  places,  are 
thought  by  scholars  versed  in  these  matters,  to  indicate 
some  infusion  of  Slavic  blood.  We  passed  quite  near 
to  the  coast,  and  could  see  many  of  their  villages,  mere 
clusters  of  stone  hovels  with  square  towers  intermingled, 
for  the  purpose  of  defence  in  the  frequent  feuds  between 
families  and  neighbours,  which  were  formerly  so  com¬ 
mon.  The  stem  hand  of  a  regular  government  has 
lessened  the  number  of  these  feuds,  and  destroyed  many 
of  these  private  castles.  The  people  are  turning  their 
attention  more  to  the  arts  of  peace  and  civilization. 
They  ha  ve  demanded  teachers ;  and  a  missionary  station 
had  just  been  established  among  them  by  the  American 
Board,  under  the  patronage  of  the  fine  old  Mainote  Bey, 
Mavromichalis,  with  every  encouragement  and  pros¬ 
pect  of  success. 

In  the  afternoon  we  turned  the  high  rocky  point  of 
Cape  Matapan,  and  struck  across  the  Laconian  Gulf 
to  the  northward  of  Cerigo  towards  Cape  Malio.  This 
latter  cape  we  passed  at  evening ;  and  bore  away 
during  the  night  for  Hydra.  In  the  morning  of  Dec. 
8th,  we  were  abreast  of  this  island  at  some  distance 
from  it ;  and  could  see  on  our  right  the  little  island  of 
St.  George,  and  the  remoter  ones  of  Zea  and  Thermia. 
Cape  Colonna  was  also  visible,  and  the  island  Helena 
beyond ;  while  before  us  lay  Mount  Hymettus,  upon 
which  a  cloud  was  discharging  its  snows.  As  we  ad¬ 
vanced,  the  Acropolis,  and  then  Mount  Pentelicus 
opened  upon  the  view ;  and  rounding  the  promontory 
of  Mynichia,  we  cast  anchor  at  ll£  o’clock  in  the  oval 
land-locked  basin  of  the  Piraeus.  We  were  somewhat 
astonished  to  find  fiacres  in  waiting,  apparently  of 
German  manufacture ;  and  in  one  of  them  we  were 
soon  on  our  way  along  a  macadamized  road  to  the 
•city  of  Athens,  a  distance  of  six  English  miles, 


Sec.  I.] 


ATHENS. 


9 


This  drive  was  accompanied  by  sad  feelings.  The 
day  was  cloudy,  cold  and  cheerless.  The  plain  and 
mountains  around,  the  scenes  of  so  many  thrilling  as¬ 
sociations,  were  untilled  and  desolate ;  and  on  every 
side  were  seen  the  noblest  monuments  of  antiquity  in 
ruins,  now  serving  to  mark  only  the  downfall  of  human 
greatness  and  of  human  pride.  Nor  did  the  entrance 
to  the  city  tend  to  dissipate  these  feelings.  Small 
dwellings  of  stone,  huddled  together  along  narrow, 
crooked,  unpaved,  filthy  lanes,  are  not  the  Athens 
which  the  scholar  loves  in  imagination  to  contemplate. 
Yet  they  constitute,  with  a  few  exceptions,  the  whole 
of  modern  Athens.  Even  in  its  best  parts,  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  court  itself,  there  is  often  an  air  of  haste 
and  shabbiness,  which,  although  not  a  matter  of  won¬ 
der  under  the  circumstances  in  which  the  city  has 
been  built  up,  cannot  fail  to  excite  in  the  stranger  a 
feeling  of  disappointment  and  sadness.  This  however 
does  not  last  long.  The  force  of  historical  associations 
is  too  powerful  not  to  triumph  over  present  degradation ; 
and  the  traveller  soon  forgets  the  scenes  before  him, 
and  dwells  only  on  the  remembrance  of  the  past. 

We  found  a  welcome  home  in  the  hospitable  man¬ 
sions  of  Messrs.  King  and  Hill,  American  Missionaries ; 
and  rejoiced  to  learn  that  their  exertions  in  behalf  of 
education  and  religious  instruction  are  duly  acknow¬ 
ledged  by  the  Greek  people,  and  are  bearing  good 
fruit.  The  clergy,  as  is  well  known,  are  in  general 
opposed  to  such  labours ;  and  the  government  to  a  great 
degree  indifferent;  except  in  respect  to  the  female 
schools  of  Mrs.  Hill,  which  the  government  has  so  far 
encouraged,  as  to  furnish  at  its  own  cost  a  certain  num¬ 
ber  of  pupils,  to  be  afterwards  employed  as  teachers 
in  national  female  schools. 

It  would  not  become  me  to  enter  into  any  details 
respecting  the  antiquities  of  Athens.  Greece  was  not 
Vol.  I.  2 


10 


GREECE. 


[Sec.  L 


the  object  of  my  journey ;  nor  had  a  visit  to  Athens 
made  part  of  my  original  plan.  I  was  therefore  not 
prepared  to  investigate  its  remains,  any  further  than 
I  could  gather  information  on  the  spot  from  the  ex¬ 
cellent  works  of  Col.  Leake  and  Dr.  Wordsworth.1 
Yet  no  one  can  visit  Athens  without  receiving  a  pro¬ 
found  impression  of  its  ancient  taste  and  splendour ; 
and  the  record  of  this  impression  in  my  own  case,  is 
all  that  I  can  give. 

The  most  striking  feature  in  Athens  is  doubtless 
the  Acropolis.  It  is  a  mass  of  rock,  which  rose  pre¬ 
cipitously  in  the  midst  of  the  ancient  city,  and  is  still 
accessible  only  on  its  N.  W.  part.  On  the  oblong  area 
of  its  levelled  surface  were  collected  the  noblest  mon¬ 
uments  of  Grecian  taste  ;  it  was  the  very  sanctuary  of 
the  arts,  the  glory,  and  the  religion  of  ancient  Athens. 
The  majestic  Propylon,  the  beautiful  Erectheum,  and 
the  sublime  Parthenon,  all  built  of  the  purest  marble, 
though  now  ruined  and  broken  down,  still  attest  the 
former  splendours  of  the  place,  and  exhibit  that  perfect 
unity  of  the  simple,  the  sublime,  and  the  beautiful,  to 
which  only  Grecian  taste  ever  attained.  In  this  re¬ 
spect,  there  is  no  other  spot  like  it  on  earth.  Rome 
has  nothing  to  compare  w  ith  it ;  and  the  vast  masses 
of  Egyptian  architecture,  while  they  almost  oppress 
the  mind  with  the  idea  of  immensity,  leave  no  impres¬ 
sion  of  beauty  or  simplicity. 

My  first  visit  in  Athens  was  to  the  Areopagus,  where 
Paul  preached.2  This  is  a  narrow,  naked  ridge  of  lime¬ 
stone  rock,  rising  gradually  from  the  northern  end,  and 
terminating  abruptly  on  the  south,  overagainst  the 
west  end  of  the  Acropolis,  from  which  it  bears  about 
north ;  being  separated  from  it  by  an  elevated  valley. 
This  southern  end  is  fifty  or  sixty  feet  above  the  said 

1)  Leake’s  Topogr.  of  Athens.  2)  See  the  narrative  in  Acts 
WTords worth’s  Athens  and  Attica.  xvii.  16,  seq. 


Sec.  I.] 


ATHENS. 


11 


valley ;  though  yet  much  lower  than  the  Acropolis. 
On  its  top  are  still  to  he  seen  the  seats  of  the  judges 
and  parties,  hewn  in  the  rock ;  and  towards  the  S.  W. 
is  a  descent  by  a  flight  of  steps,  also  cut  in  the  rock, 
into  the  valley  below.  On  the  west  of  the  ridge,  in 
the  valley  between  it  and  the  Pnyx,  was  the  ancient 
market ;  and  on  the  S.  E.  side,  the  later  or  new  mar¬ 
ket.  In  which  of  these  it  was,  that  Paul  “  disputed 
daily,”  it  is  of  course  impossible  to  tell;  but  from 
either,  it  was  only  a  short  distance  to  the  foot  of 
u  Mars  Hill,”  up  which  Paul  was  probably  conducted 
by  the  flight  of  steps  just  mentioned.  Standing  on 
this  elevated  platform,  surrounded  by  the  learned  and 
the  wise  of  Athens,  the  multitude  perhaps  being  on 
the  steps  and  in  the  vale  below,  Paul  had  directly  be¬ 
fore  him  the  far-famed  Acropolis  with  its  wonders  of 
Grecian  art ;  and  beneath  him,  on  his  left,  the  majestic 
Theseium,  the  earliest  and  still  most  perfect  of  Athe¬ 
nian  structures ;  while  all  around,  other  temples  and 
altars  filled  the  whole  city.  Yet  here,  amid  all  these 
objects  of  which  the  Athenians  were  so  proud,  Paul 
hesitated  not  to  exclaim  :  u  God,  who  made  the  world 
and  all  tilings  that  are  therein, — He  being  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth,  dwelleth  not  in  temples  made  with 
hands  !”  On  the  Acropolis,  too,  were  the  three  cele¬ 
brated  statues  of  Minerva ;  one  of  olive-wood ;  another 
of  gold  and  ivory  in  the  Parthenon,  the  master-piece 
of  Phidias  ;  and  the  colossal  statue  in  the  open  air,  the 
point  of  whose  spear  was  seen  over  the  Parthenon  by 
those  sailing  along  the  gulf.  To  these  Paul  probably 
referred  and  pointed,  when  he  went  on  to  affirm,  that 
u  the  Godhead  is  not  like  unto  gold,  or  silver,  or  stone, 
graven  by  art  and  man’s  device.” — Indeed  it  is  impos¬ 
sible  to  conceive  of  any  thing  more  adapted  to  the 
circumstances  of  time  and  place,  than  is  the  whole  of 
this  masterly  address ;  but  the  full  force  and  energy 


12 


GREECE. 


[Sec.  I. 


and  boldness  of  the  Apostle’s  language,  can  be  duly 
felt,  only  when  one  has  stood  upon  the  spot.  The 
course  of  the  argument  too  is  masterly, — so  entirely 
adapted  to  the  acute  and  susceptible  minds  of  his 
Athenian  audience. 

Directly  overagainst  the  Areopagus,  and  in  full 
view  of  the  place  thus  consecrated  by  the  labours  of 
the  great  Apostle  of  the  Gentiles,  is  another  spot  still 
more  distinctly  marked,  and  hardly  less  interesting,  as 
being  the  undoubted  scene  of  the  patriotic  exertions 
of  the  great  Athenian  orator.  On  the  eastern  slope 
of  the  longer  hill,  which  runs  parallel  to  the  Areopa¬ 
gus  in  the  west,  lies  the  Pnyx,  the  place  where  the 
assemblies  of  the  Athenian  people  were  held  in  the 
open  air.  It  is  a  semicircular  area ;  the  rock  on  the 
upper  part  being  cut  away  to  the  depth  of  eight  or  ten 
feet ;  and  the  lower  part  being  in  some  places  built  up 
in  a  straight  line  with  cyclopean  walls.  At  the  high¬ 
est  point,  in  the  middle  of  the  arc,  a  square  mass  of 
the  rock  is  left  projecting  into  the  area,  with  steps  to 
ascend  it  on  the  sides.  Here  was  the  spot,  the  very 
Bema ,  on  which  Demosthenes  stood,  when  he  ad¬ 
dressed  the  Athenian  people  in  those  strains  of  fervid 
eloquence,  which 

“  Shook  th’  arsenal,  and  fulmin’d  over  Greece, 

To  Macedon,  and  Artaxerxes’  throne.” 

The  exactness  of  this  locality  cannot  well  be  drawn 
in  question.  It  is  true,  that  the  Bema  stood  origin¬ 
ally  on  the  summit  of  the  ridge,  some  yards  above 
the  present  spot,  whence  the  orator  could  see  the 
Piraeus  and  its  fleets;  but  its  position  had  been 
changed  long  before  the  days  of  Demosthenes. 

One  afternoon  we  rode  with  Mr.  Hill  to  the  sup¬ 
posed  site  of  the  Academy,  where  Plato  taught  his 
‘  words  of  wisdom.’  There  is  nothing  to  mark  the  site 


Sec.  I.] 


ATHENS. 


13 


definitely.  It  lies  N.  E.  of  the  city  in  the  plain,  be¬ 
yond  the  Cephisus,  which  is  here  a  brawling  brook, 
much  used  for  irrigating  the  adjacent  fields  and  gar¬ 
dens.  The  whole  tract  is  covered  with  olive-groves. 
We  returned  by  the  hill  of  Kolonos,  the  scene  of  the 
Oedipus  Coloneus  of  Sophocles;  where  once  stood  a 
temple  of  Neptune.  This  hill  affords  a  noble  view  of 
Athens  and  its  environs.  It  was  a  splendid  afternoon ; 
and  the  atmosphere  had  all  that  perfect  clearness  and 
transparency  for  which  the  climate  of  Attica  is  re¬ 
markable;  far  surpassing  in  this  respect  the  sky  of 
Italy  or  of  any  other  country  known  to  me.  Remote 
objects  were  seen  with  the  utmost  distinctness;  the 
island  of  Hydra  seemed  to  be  hardly  ten  miles  off; 
though  its  real  distance  is  more  than  forty  English 
miles.  The  sun  went  down  while  we  were  yet  upon 
the  hill,  pouring  a  flood  of  transparent  glory  over  the 
landscape;  and  as  the  reflection  of  his  last  beams 
lingered  upon  the  Parthenon  and  slowly  ascended  the 
dark  sides  of  Mount  Hymettus  beyond,  they  were  fol¬ 
lowed  by  hues  of  brilliant  purple,  which  also  climbed 
the  heights  of  Hymettus,  and  spread  themselves  abroad 
upon  the  sky. 

Another  day  we  rode  with  the  same  friend  to  the 
ancient  quarries  on  the  side  of  Hymettus ;  and  then  to 
a  farm  near  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  Hymettus  was 
of  old  celebrated  for  its  honey ;  and  large  quantities 
of  it  are  still  collected  in  the  neighbourhood.  On  the 
farm  we  visited,  there  were  about  two  hundred  hives 
of  bees ;  and  the  people  were  then  engaged  in  gather¬ 
ing  the  honey.  This  was  a  second  harvest  (in  Decem¬ 
ber)  ;  the  first  and  greater  one  being  in  August.  We 
were  gratified  in  being  able  to  taste  the  honey  of  Hy¬ 
mettus,  at  its  fountain-head ;  though  I  cannot  award 
to  it  the  palm  of  superior  excellence,  which  both  the 
ancient  and  modern  Athenians  have  claimed  for  it. 


14 


GREECE. 


[Sec.  I. 


It  is  dark  coloured,  and  has  a  very  strong  flavour  of 
thyme ;  being  indeed  chiefly  collected  from  this  plant, 
which  thickly  covers  the  whole  slope  of  the  mountain. 

On  one  of  the  last  mornings  of  our  stay  in  Athens, 
I  went  very  early  to  the  Acropolis,  to  see  the  sun  rise 
over  Mount  Hymettus.  The  morning  was  clear  and 
cold ;  a  frost,  for  the  first  time,  had  left  slight  traces 
of  ice  in  the  streets.  I  was  alone  upon  the  Acropolis, 
in  the  midst  of  the  solemn  grandeur  of  its  desolations. 
Seating  myself  within  the  ruins  of  the  Parthenon, 
where  the  eye  could  command  the  whole  horizon 
through  the  columns  of  the  eastern  portico,  I  waited 
for  the  rising  sun.  The  whole  sky  was  so  resplendent, 
that  for  a  long  time  I  could  not  determine  the  point 
where  the  orh  of  day  would  appear.  The  sunlight 
already  lay  upon  the  eastern  plain  and  on  the  north¬ 
ern  mountains,  falling  between  Hymettus  and  Pente- 
licus.  Small  fleecy  clouds  came  floating  on  the  north 
wind;  and,  as  they  hovered  over  Hymettus  and  met 
the  rays  of  the  sun,  were  changed  to  liquid  gold.  At 
length  the  first  beams  fell  upon  the  Parthenon,  and 
lighted  up  its  marbles  and  its  columns  with  a  silvery 
splendour.  It  was  one  of  those  moments  in  the  life  of 
man,  that  can  never  be  forgotten. 

We  remained  seventeen  days  in  Athens;  the  next 
steamer  having  been  delayed  two  days  beyond  the 
regular  time.  The  weather  during  this  interval  was 
variable ;  frequent  storms  of  high  wind  with  rain,  and 
the  mountains  sometimes  thinly  covered  with  snow ; 
and  then  again  intervening  days  like  the  loveliest  of 
June.  A  morning  cloud,  however  small,  on  Mount 
Hymettus  was  the  sure  prognostic  of  rain  in  the  course 
of  the  day.  The  thermometer  fell  only  once  below 
the  freezing  point ;  and  this  was  regarded  as  the  se¬ 
verest  cold  of  the  winter.  We  had  planned  an  ex¬ 
cursion  to  Argos,  where  some  of  our  American  friends 


Sec.  I.] 


ATHENS. 


15 


were  then  residing;  intending  to  cross  the  gulf  to 
Nauplia,  and  return  by  way  of  Corinth  and  its  isth¬ 
mus.  But  a  storm  hindered  us  at  the  time  appointed, 
and  for  some  days  afterwards ;  and  I  was  compelled 
to  rest  satisfied  with  the  view  of  the  Acropolis  of  Cor¬ 
inth,  as  seen  from  the  Acropolis  of  Athens.  Similar 
circumstances  prevented  also  a  proposed  excursion  to 
the  summit  of  Mount  Pentelicus  and  the  plain  of 
Marathon. 

I  had  of  course  no  extensive  opportunity  to  observe 
the  people  of  Greece  ;  nor,  in  any  case,  would  this  be 
the  proper  place  to  dwell  upon  their  political  circum¬ 
stances.  But  as  the  result  of  my  own  observation, 
coupled  with  information  received  from  many  quarters, 
I  must  do  the  inhabitants  of  the  kingdom  of  Greece 
the  justice  to  say,  that  although  burdened  with  a  for¬ 
eign  government,  in  which  as  a  people  they  have  no 
voice,  this  little  nation  of  800,000  souls,  in  the  short 
period  of  their  existence  as  a  state,  have  in  a  good 
degree  shaken  off  their  former  degradation,  and  have 
raised  themselves,  as  to  independence  of  character, 
integrity,  and  intellectual  and  moral  enterprise,  to  a 
standing  considerably  above  any  other  portions  of  their 
countrymen,  and  especially  above  those  who  still  re¬ 
main  under  the  Turkish  dominion.  The  people  have 
an  ardent  desire  for  instruction  and  for  free  institu¬ 
tions  ;  and  although  they  may  not  yet  be  ripe  for  the 
latter,  yet  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  influence  of  some 
of  the  larger  continental  powers,  however  strongly 
exerted,  will  not  be  mighty  enough  to  quench  these 
aspirations.1 

During  our  stay  at  Athens  I  was  able  to  have 
communication  with  my  friend,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Smith, 

1)  After  the  above  was  written,  ing  the  relative  intellectual  and 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  learning  from  moral  standing  of  the  Greek  peo- 
Prof.  Ritter,  that  he  too  was  led  pie,  in  and  out  of  the  kingdom  of 
to  the  same  conclusion  respect-  Greece. 


16 


GREECE. 


[Sec.  I. 


who  was  then  in  Smyrna.  I  would  gladly  have  joined 
him  there,  that  so  we  might  have  proceeded  together 
to  Egypt.  But  the  business  of  which  he  had  charge, 
would  not  permit  of  his  leaving  immediately  ;  and  then 
too  there  was  a  quarantine  of  three  weeks  between 
Smyrna  and  Alexandria.  Of  course  it  was  more  plea¬ 
sant  and  profitable  to  spend  these  three  weeks  under 
the  warmer  sun  and  amid  the  wonders  of  Egypt,  than 
to  be  shut  up  within  the  walls  of  a  miserable  lazaretto 
at  Syra  or  Alexandria.  It  was  arranged  therefore 
with  Mr.  Smith,  with  the  unanimous  and  hearty  assent 
of  his  missionary  brethren  in  Smyrna  and  Athens,  that 
he  should  meet  me  at  Cairo  in  the  last  days  of  Feb¬ 
ruary  ;  and  so  leaving  him  to  enjoy  the  quarantine 
alone,  we  set  our  faces  directly  towards  Egypt. 

We  embarked  at  the  Piraeus  on  the  evening  of 
Dec.  25th,  on  board  the  steamer  Baron  Eichhof ;  and 
at  sunrise  next  morning  were  off  the  north  end  of  Syra, 
surrounded  by  a  splendid  array  of  picturesque  islands, 
the  Cyclades  of  former  days.  Behind  us  lay  Jura, 
Zea,  and  Thermia.  In  the  N.  W.  were  visible  the 
lofty  mountains  on  the  southern  end  of  Negropont,  cap¬ 
ped  with  snow ;  and  in  the  S.  W.  were  Serfo  and  Si- 
fanto.  Near  at  hand  on  our  left  were  the  large  islands 
of  Andros  and  Tinos,  the  former  with  snowy  moun¬ 
tains  ;  and  before  us,  Mycone,  Delos,  and  Great  Delos. 
As  we  rounded  the  northern  point  of  Syra,  we  came 
in  sight  of  Naxos,  Paros,  and  Anti-Paros;  and  could 
also  see  the  high  land  of  Nikeria  over  the  southern 
extremity  of  Tinos.  In  a  direction  a  little  further  to 
the  south,  I  looked  long  for  Patinos ;  but  in  A^ain.  At 
8  o’clock  we  cast  anchor  in  the  fine  bay  of  Syra,  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  island ;  which  has  of  late  years 
acquired  celebrity  as  the  chief  commercial  port  of 
Greece,  and  the  central  point  of  meeting  for  all  the 
various  lines  of  French  and  Austrian  steamers. 


SYRA. 


Sec.  I.] 


We  passed  here  a  very  agreeable  and  very  busy 
day,  chiefly  in  the  society  of  our  kind  American  friends, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Robertson  and  his  family,  who  have  since 
removed  to  Constantinople.  We  visited  their  schools 
and  printing  establishment;  and  also  the  flourishing 
schools  of  the  English  Church  Missionary  Society, 
under  the  care  of  Messrs.  Hildner  and  Wolters. — The 
old  town  of  Syra  lies  on  the  sides  of  a  conical  hill  at 
some  distance  from  the  shore,  and  contains  5000  inha¬ 
bitants.  The  new  town,  which  sprung  into  existence 
during  the  Greek  revolution,  lies  upon  the  shore  be¬ 
low  ;  and  is  supposed  to  contain  a  population  of  18,000 
souls.  Ship-building  is  here  carried  on  extensively. 
The  expenses  of  living  are  said  to  be  greater  in  this 
town,  than  anywhere  else  in  the  Levant ;  chiefly  be¬ 
cause  all  articles  of  necessity  or  luxury  must  be  brought 
from  a  distance;  the  island  itself  furnishing  almost 
nothing. 

We  embarked  again  the  same  evening,  Dec.  26th, 
for  Alexandria,  on  board  the  steamer  Prince  Metter- 
nich,  which  was  lying  in  c{uarantine.  A  thunder-storm 
which  passed  over  the  harbour,  delayed  our  departure 
until  after  midnight.  At  sunrise  we  were  abreast  of 
the  small  island  Polykandro  on  our  left ;  having  on 
our  right  Sifanto,  Argentiera,  Polino,  and  Milo ;  while 
behind  Polykandro  we  could  see  Sikyno  and  Nio,  and 
far  in  the  S.  E.  the  high  volcanic  island  of  Santorin, 
which  Ritter  had  explored  so  thoroughly  a  few  months 
before.  At  10  o’clock  Crete  was  visible ;  but  was  in¬ 
distinct  and  covered  with  clouds.  At  evening  we  cast 
anchor  in  the  harbour  of  Cane  a,  on  the  north  coast  of 
the  island  near  its  western  end.  This  city  contains 
about  6000  inhabitants ;  and  lies  like  an  amphitheatre 
around  a  small  inner  circular  port,  at  the  foot  of  a 
large  bay  setting  up  between  the  Capes  Spada  and 
Meleka ;  the  land  rising  gradually  from  the  water  on 
Vol.  I.  3 


18 


CRETE. 


[Sec.  I. 


all  sides.  Back  of  the  city  Mount  Melessa  rises  to  the 
height  of  several  thousand  feet,  and  was  then  covered 
with  deep  snow ;  while  far  in  the  east,  near  the  middle 
of  the  island,  was  seen  the  majestic  and  loftier  form 
of  Mount  Ida,  also  white  with  snows,  and  glittering 
in  the  last  beams  of  the  setting  sun. 

The  little  port  of  Canea  is  formed  by  an  artificial 
mole,  with  a  fortress  on  each  side  of  the  entrance. 
Here  for  the  first  time  we  beheld  mosks  and  mina¬ 
rets,  the  latter  crowned  by  the  crescent ;  showing  us 
that  we  had  here  entered  a  territory  subject  to  the 
Muslim  rule.  It  was  now  near  the  close  of  the  fast 
of  Ramadan ;  and  the  minarets  were  lighted  up  by  rows 
of  small  lamps  thickly  suspended  from  the  external 
galleries,  producing  a  pleasing  effect  in  the  darkness 
of  evening.  Indeed  the  whole  effect  of  the  lights  of 
the  city  at  evening,  rising  on  every  side,  was  fine  and 
imposing. 

Crete  is  now  under  the  dominion  of  the  Pasha  of 
Egypt ;  and  at  that  time  presented  the  rather  singular 
anomaly  even  in  oriental  quarantines,  that  while  Egypt 
itself  had  no  quarantine  against  Greece,  yet  Crete  had 
a  quarantine  against  both  Greece  and  Egypt.  We 
were  not  permitted  to  land  at  Canea ;  but  some  Amer¬ 
ican  missionary  friends,  to  whom  we  had  letters, 
kindly  came  off  in  a  boat  the  next  morning,  and  gra¬ 
tified  us  by  a  short  visit  along  side.  Mr.  Benton  and 
his  family  had  then  been  established  in  Canea  about 
a  year,  with  very  encouraging  prospects  of  usefulness 
and  success. 

We  left  Canea  again  at  11  o’clock  A.  M.  Dec.  28th, 
and  pursued  our  way  along  the  northern  coast  of  Crete. 
A  strong  N.  E.  wind  had  set  in,  which  was  contrary 
to  us  and  raised  a  heavy  sea ;  so  that  our  progress  was 
slow,  and  the  motion  of  the  vessel  very  uncomfortable. 
Clouds  likewise  gathered  upon  the  island ;  permitting 


Sec.  I.] 


ALEXANDRIA. 


19 


us  only  occasional  glimpses  of  the  coast  and  the  lofty 
brow  of  Ida.  The  next  morning  we  were  off  the 
eastern  end  of  Crete,  which  was  just  visible  in  a  low 
line  below  the  clouds  which  rested  on  it ;  and  in  the 
N.  E.  we  could  distinguish  the  high  islands  of  Caso 
and  Scarpanto.  The  N.  E.  wind  was  now  more 
favourable,  and  our  progress  more  rapid;  but  the 
weather  was  still  cold  and  the  motion  uncomfortable. 
The  next  day,  Dec.  30th,  was  warmer ;  and  a  heavy 
shower  from  the  S.  W.  left  a  strong  wind  from  that 
quarter,  with  much  motion.  Early  in  the  afternoon 
we  began  to  meet  vessels  which  had  left  Alexandria 
with  the  change  of  wind.  At  3  o’clock  the  column  of 
Diocletian  began  to  appear ;  then  the  tall  masts  of  the 
Egyptian  fleet,  which  was  lying  in  the  harbour ;  after¬ 
wards  the  Pasha’s  palace  and  other  buildings;  and 
finally  the  low  coast.  At  5  o’clock  we  gained  the 
narrow  entrance  of  the  western  port,  following  a  pilot, 
who  led  the  way  in  his  small  boat.  He  refused 
to  come  on  board,  saying  we  were  to  be  in  quaran¬ 
tine, — a  piece  of  news  which  somewhat  alarmed  our 
Captain ;  as  he  had  left  the  port  only  a  few  days  be¬ 
fore  in  pratique,  and  had  since  been  in  no  port  against 
which  there  was  a  quarantine.  Half  an  hour  after¬ 
wards  we  cast  anchor  near  the  city,  in  the  midst  of 
the  huge  men  of  war  which  compose  the  Egyptian 
fleet.  A  boat  with  Frank  health-officers  soon  ran 
along  side.  The  officers  came  on  board  with  all  due 
precautions,  and  instituted  a  very  strict  scrutiny  as  to 
the  passengers  and  letters ;  to  the  great  surprise  of  our 
Captain,  who  had  never  experienced  any  thing  of  the 
kind  before.  The  result  of  the  scrutiny  was  in  our 
favour ;  and  all  of  a  sudden  the  chief  health-officer,  a 
friend  of  the  Captain,  threw  his  arms  around  the  latter; 
and  the  deck  resounded  with  their  mutual  kisses  and 
congratulations.  We  were  not  uninterested  spectators 


20 


EGYPT. 


[Sec.  L 


of  this  scene ;  and  joined  heartily  in  the  rejoicings  of 
the  moment.  We  now  learned  that  the  last  French 
steamer,  which  arrived  just  a  week  before  us,  and  in 
which  we  at  first  had  thought  of  taking  passage,  had 
by  some  negligence  received  on  board  at  Syra  the 
letters  and  packages  from  Constantinople  and  Smyrna, 
without  their  having  first  been  fumigated  at  the  health- 
office.  In  consequence  of  this,  the  vessel  had  been 
put  in  quarantine  at  Alexandria  for  twenty  days,  and 
her  passengers  for  seven  days ;  from  which  the  latter 
were  freed  only  the  day  after  our  arrival.  We  of 
course  were  grateful  for  this  escape  from  confinement 
in  an  Egyptian  lazaretto. 

It  was  now  too  late  to  go  on  shore  and  look  up 
lodgings  in  a  strange  city.  We  waited  until  morning, 
and  then  landed  with  the  Captain  at  the  custom-house. 
The  momept  we  set  foot  on  shore,  we  needed  no  fur¬ 
ther  conviction,  that  we  had  left  Europe  and  were 
now  in  the  oriental  world.  We  found  ourselves  in  the 
midst  of  a  dense  crowd,  through  which  we  made  our 
way  with  difficulty, — Egyptians,  Turks,  Arabs,  Copts, 
Negroes,  Franks;  complexions  of  white,  black,  olive, 
bronze,  brown,  and  almost  all  other  colours;  long 
beards  and  no  beards  ;  all  costumes  and  no  costume ; 
silks  and  rags ;  wide  robes  and  no  robes ;  women 
muffled  in  shapeless  black  mantles,  their  faces  wholly 
covered  except  peep-holes  for  the  eyes ;  endless  con¬ 
fusion,  and  a  clatter  and  medley  of  tongues,  Arabic, 
Turkish,  Greek,  Italian,  French,  German,  and  English, 
as  the  case  might  be  ;  strings  of  huge  camels  in  single 
file  with  high  loads;  little  donkies,  bridled  and  sad¬ 
dled,  each  guided  by  a  sore-eyed  Arab  boy  with  a 
few  words  of  Sailor-English,  who  thrusts  his  little 
animal  nolens  volens  almost  between  your  legs ; — such 
is  a  faint  picture  of  the  scene  in  which  we  found  our¬ 
selves  on  landing  in  Alexandria. 


Sec.  I.] 


ALEXANDRIA. 


21 


We  made  our  way  at  length  to  the  Frank  quarter, 
in  the  S.  E.  part  of  the  city,  through  narrow,  crooked, 
dirty  streets  and  lanes,  running  between  dead  walls 
or  ill-built  houses  with  flat  roofs.  The  Frank  quarter 
is  near  the  eastern  port,  and  consists  of  a  broad  street 
or  place,  surrounded  by  large  houses  in  the  Italian 
style.  We  paid  our  respects  to  Mr.  Gliddon,  Consul 
of  the  United  States,  to  whom  I  had  an  official  letter  ; 
and  he  immediately  sent  his  Kawwas  or  Janizary  to 
procure  us  lodgings,  and  to  pass  our  luggage  at  the 
custom-house.  During  our  stay  in  Alexandria,  and  af¬ 
terwards  in  Cairo,  we  were  greatly  indebted  to  the 
courtesy  and  kind  offices  of  Mr.  Gliddon  ;  and  I  take 
pleasure  in  this  opportunity  of  tendering  to  him  my 
grateful  acknowledgments. 

It  was  now  the  third  day  of  the  great  festival  of 
the  Muhammedans,  (the  Lesser  Bairam  of  the  Turks,) 
which  follows  the  fast  of  Ramadan,  and  continues  three 
days.  All  was  of  course  joy  and  rejoicing  among  the 
population ;  bands  of  jugglers  were  exhibiting  their 
feats  in  the  open  places  of  the  streets ;  the  ships  of 
war  in  the  harbour  were  gaily  decked  with  flags  and 
streamers ;  and  at  noon  the  thunder  of  their  cannon 
proclaimed  a  salute  in  honour  of  the  day.  This  was 
the  first  and  only  Muhammedan  festival,  which  we  had 
an  opportunity  of  seeing. 

Of  ancient  Alexandria,  that  renowned  city,  which 
contained  600,000  inhabitants,  and  was  second  only 
to  Rome  itself,  scarcely  a  vestige  now  remains.  The 
hand  of  time  and  the  hand  of  barbarism  have  both 
swept  over  it  with  merciless  fury,  and  buried  its  an¬ 
cient  glory  in  the  dust  and  in  the  sea.  Her  illustrious 
schools  of  theology,  astronomy,  and  various  other  sci¬ 
ences  ;  her  noble  library,  unique  in  ancient  history ; 
her  light-house,  one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world  ; 
all  have  utterly  vanished  away,  and  1  the  places  there- 


22 


EGYPT. 


[Sec.  L 


of  know  them  no  more.’  Her  former  site,  thickly 
strown  with  fragments  of  bricks  and  tiles,  showing 
that  even  the  materials  of  her  former  structures  have 
perished,  has  been  dug  over,  and  the  foundations  of 
her  edifices  turned  up,  in  search  of  stones  to  build  the 
modern  navy-yard  and  other  works  of  the  Pasha. — 
The  only  surviving  remains  of  the  ancient  city  are,  a 
few  cisterns  still  in  use ;  the  catacombs  on  the  shore 
west  of  the  city;  the  granite  obelisk  of  Thothmes 
III,  with  its  fallen  brother,  brought  hither  from  Heli¬ 
opolis,  and  usually  called  Cleopatra’s  Needles ;  and 
the  column  of  Diocletian,  more  commonly  known  as 
Pompey’s  Pillar.  This  last  is  upon  the  highest  part 
of  the  ancient  site,  between  the  modem  city  and  Lake 
Mareotis.  There  it  stands,  towering  in  loneliness  and 
desolation,  the  survivor  of  that  splendour  which  it  was 
intended  to  heighten ;  while  near  at  hand  the  strag¬ 
gling  and  neglected  tombs  of  a  Muhammedan  ceme¬ 
tery  only  serve  to  render  the  desolation  more  mourn¬ 
ful.1  The  catacombs  are  nearly  filled  with  earth,  and 
are  difficult  to  be  explored.  They  consist  of  halls 
and  apartments  with  niches  for  the  dead,  and  with  orna¬ 
ments  in  the  Greek  style  of  architecture.  But  they 
are  chiefly  interesting  as  being  the  first  Egyptian  sep¬ 
ulchres  which  the  traveller  meets. — The  population  of 
the  modern  city  is  reckoned  by  the  best  judges  at 
about  40,000  souls. 

If  the  traveller  feels  on  landing  in  Alexandria,  that 
he  has  now  entered  the  borders  of  the  oriental  world, 
he  is  not  less  strongly  reminded  of  the  same  fact,  when 
he  comes  to  leave  that  city,  and  set  off  for  the  interior 
of  Egypt.  Until  now  he  has  had  all  the  conveniences 
of  travel  which  exist  in  Europe  and  America  ;  he  has 
had  only  to  await  the  departure  of  a  steamer,  and  be- 


1)  See  Note  I,  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 


Sec.  L] 


ALEXANDRIA. 


23 


take  himself  on  board  with  hag  and  baggage,  without 
further  thought  or  care.  But  travelling  in  Egypt  and 
Syria,  is  quite  a  different  thing.  Here  are  neither 
roads,  nor  public  conveyances,  nor  public  houses ;  and 
the  traveller  is  thrown  back  wholly  upon  his  own  re¬ 
sources.  In  Egypt  he  must  hire  a  boat  for  himself, 
unless  he  can  find  a  companion  to  share  it  with  him  ; 
he  must  provide  his  own  bed  and  cooking-utensils, 
and  also  his  provisions  for  the  journey,  except  such  as 
he  can  procure  at  the  villages  along  the  Nile ;  and 
withal  and  above  all  he  must  have  a  servant,  who  can 
at  the  same  time  act  as  cook,  purveyor,  and  inter¬ 
preter.  He  will  soon  find  himself  very  much  in  the 
power  of  this  important  personage,  who  will  usually 
be  able  neither  to  read  nor  write ;  and  the  discom¬ 
forts  and  vexations  of  this  relation  of  dependence  will 
probably  continue  more  and  more  to  press  upon  him, 
until  he  has  himself  learned  something  of  the  Arabic 
language,  or  is  fortunate  enough  (as  I  was)  to  fall  in 
with  a  companion  to  whom  the  language  is  familiar. — 
If  the  traveller  has  time,  he  will  do  well  to  purchase 
the  chief  necessaries  at  Alexandria.  He  needs  them 
just  as  much  during  the  voyage  to  Cairo,  as  after¬ 
wards  ;  and  he  will  thus  save  time  and  avoid  care  in 
the  latter  city. 

Most  travellers,  on  arriving  at  Alexandria,  suppose 
they  have  only  to  take  a  boat  directly  from  that  city 
along  the  canal  and  the  Nile  to  Cairo ;  and  it  may  be 
some  days  before  they  learn,  that  at  ’Atfeh — where 
the  canal  leaves  the  Nile — they  will  be  compelled  to 
hire  another  boat ;  the  canal  being  there  shut  off  from 
the  river  by  a  dam  with  sluices,  but  without  locks. 
At  this  point  every  thing  which  passes  between  Alex¬ 
andria  and  Cairo  has  to  be  transshipped  ;  to  the  great 
inconvenience  of  the  public  and  the  special  annoyance 
of  travellers  just  arrived  in  the  country.  The  boats 


24 


EGYPT. 


[Sec.  I. 


on  the  canal  and  river  are  much  the  same, — long, 
narrow,  and  sharp,  with  a  low  cabin  at  the  stern  in 
which  one  can  rarely  stand  erect ;  and  usually  having 
two  low  masts  with  immense  lateen  sails,  their  long 
yards  turning  around  the  top  of  the  mast  as  on  a  pivot. 
The  cabins  for  the  most  part  will  accommodate  only 
two  persons  to  sit  (cross-legged)  and  sleep  in.  If  a 
party  consists  of  more,  a  larger  boat  will  be  neces¬ 
sary  ;  which  enhances  the  expense  and  commonly  the 
length  of  the  voyage. 

It  was  on  a  delightful  morning,  Jan.  5th,  1838,  that 
we  found  ourselves  floating  for  the  first  time  on  the 
bosom  of  the  mighty  Nile.  In  Alexandria  we  had  al¬ 
most  daily  showers  of  rain  ;  and  during  the  night  that 
we  had  lain  by  at  ’Atfeh,  a  heavy  shower  had  fallen, 
clearing  the  atmosphere,  and  leaving  behind  it  a  fine 
north  wind,  which  was  driving  us  onward  cheerily 
against  the  powerful  current.  It  was  a  moment  of 
excitement ;  indeed  a  new  emotion  was  awakened  by 
the  first  day’s  sail  upon  this  noble  stream,  so  closely 
associated  with  the  earliest  and  choicest  recollections 
of  childhood  and  manhood.  It  was  a  glorious  sight  to 
look  upon  the  mighty  river,  rolling  its  waters  for 
nearly  fifteen  hundred  miles,  without  a  single  tributary, 
through  a  region  which  but  for  it  would  be  a  desert ; 
and  rendering  this  desert  by  its  waters  the  garden  of 
the  world.  The  Rosetta  branch  of  the  Nile,  where 
we  came  upon  it,  reminded  me  strongly  of  the  Rhine 
at  Cologne,  in  its  general  breadth  and  current,  and  in 
the  general  character  of  its  banks.  The  water  of  the 
Nile  is  celebrated  for  its  deliciousness ;  and  is  deserv¬ 
ing  of  its  fame  in  this  respect.  Strangers  are  apt  to 
drink  too  freely  of  it  at  first ;  and  not  unfrequently 
experience  a  slight  attack  of  dysentery  in  consequence. 
The  water  is  slightly  turbid ;  but  becomes  clear  by 
filtering  through  the  porous  jars  of  the  country ;  or  on 


CAIRO. 


Sec.  I.] 


25 


being  left  to  stand  in  jars,  the  sides  of  which  have  been 
rubbed  with  almond-paste. 

We  had  been  told  in  Alexandria  that  we  should 
probably  reach  Cairo  in  three  days  ;  but  our  fine  wind 
lasted  only  for  one  day ;  and  it  was  not  until  after  a 
voyage  of  five  days  in  all,  that  we  landed  at  Bidak, 
the  port  of  Cairo.  For  a  whole  day  previous,  we  had 
seen  the  great  pyramids,  towering  upon  the  southern 
horizon.  Several  other  travellers,  about  the  same 
time,  had  still  longer  passages.  Our  luggage  and  our¬ 
selves  were  speedily  mounted  on  donkies;  and  we 
were  soon  cantering  along  the  straight  road  that  leads 
to  the  gate  of  Cairo,  two  English  miles  distant.  This 
gate  opens  on  the  middle  of  the  N.  W.  side  of  the  great 
place  or  square  el-Ezbekiyeh ;  not  far  from  which,  on 
the  southern  side,  lies  the  Frank  quarter.  Here  we 
found  lodgings  in  a  hotel  which  had  formerly  been 
kept  by  an  Italian;  but  was  now  nominally  under 
English  management. 

At  Cairo  we  found  we  had  fallen,  for  the  present, 
on  evil  times.  Mr.  G.  R.  Gliddon,  the  American  Con¬ 
sul,  was  absent  in  the  United  States.  The  English 
Vice-Consul,  to  whom  I  had  been  particularly  ad¬ 
dressed,  was  at  first  absent ;  and  on  his  return  found 
himself  honoured  or  burdened  by  a  new  appointment, 
which  for  the  time  overwhelmed  him  with  a  chaotic 
mass  of  business ;  so  that  he  hardly  knew  which  way 
to  turn.  Messrs.  Lieder  and  Kruse,  Missionaries  of  the 
Church  Missionary  Society,  to  whom  I  had  letters 
from  the  Society  in  London,  and  who  afterwards  ren¬ 
dered  us  most  important  services,  were  at  the  time 
confined  to  their  houses  by  illness.  Mr.  Gliddon  sen¬ 
ior  had  been  so  kind  as  to  place  at  our  disposal  the 
Janizary  of  the  American  Consulate,  both  during  the 
time  of  our  stay  in  Cairo,  and  for  our  further  voyage 
on  the  Nile  ;  yet  this  did  not  help  us  much  at  present; 

Vol.  I.  4 


26 


EGYPT 


[Sec.  I 


for  Mustafa  spoke  nothing  hut  Arabic ;  and  we  could 
therefore  communicate  with  him  usually  only  through 
our  other  servant.  He  went  with  us  up  the  Nile,  and 
we  found  him  at  all  times  honest,  faithful,  and  kind- 
hearted. 

Left  thus  alone,  as  strangers  in  this  great  city,  we 
determined  to  leave  it  as  soon  as  possible  for  Upper 
Egypt,  hoping  for  better  auspices  on  our  return.  We 
visited  therefore  at  present  only  the  bazars ;  the  slave- 
market  with  its  abominations ;  the  tombs  of  the  Mem- 
luks,  fine  specimens  of  Saracenic  architecture  now  fall¬ 
ing  to  decay ;  the  citadel ;  and  the  charming  orange- 
gardens  connected  with  the  Pasha’s  palace  at  Shubra. 
As  we  wandered  one  day  with  our  servant  through  the 
citadel,  looking  at  the  apartments  of  the  Pasha,  and 
entering  the  halls  of  audience  and  public  business,  we 
stumbled  into  the  room  where  Habib  Effendi,  Gover¬ 
nor  of  Cairo  and  Minister  of  the  Interior,  was  trans¬ 
acting  the  usual  routine  of  matters  which  came  before 
him.  He  sat  munching  in  one  corner  of  the  room, 
with  several  persons  around  him  ;  and  there  were  other 
similar  groups  in  various  parts  of  the  hall.  As  persons 
were  continually  passing  in  and  out,  we  did  not  hesi¬ 
tate  to  gratify  our  curiosity ;  and  were  retiring,  when 
the  Governor  sent  the  Dragoman  of  the  English  Con¬ 
sulate  after  us,  inviting  us  to  take  coffee  with  him. 
As  we  were  still  utter  strangers  in  Egypt,  and  had  no 
friend  with  us  who  was  au  fait  in  such  matters,  we 
declined  the  invitation  as  politely  as  we  could,  on  the 
ground  that  we  had  seen  his  Excellency  was  very 
much  engaged.  The  occurrence  is  not  worth  men¬ 
tioning,  except  as  illustrating  the  mighty  change  which 
has  taken  place  in  the  feelings  and  conduct  of  Mu- 
hammedans  towards  Frank  Christians. 


The  weather  was  fine  and  the  air  balmy,  all  the 
time  we  were  at  Cairo.  There  had  been  however 


Sec.  L] 


VOYAGE  UP  THE  NILE. 


27 


several  rainy  days  shortly  before ;  and  especially  on 
Christmas  day  a  violent  storm  of  wind  and  rain.  The 

thermometer,  at  sunrise,  ranged  between  44°  and  54° 
of  Farenheit. 

The  indolence  and  procrastinating  habits  of  the 
Egyptians  and  Arabs,  are  well  known.  They  seem 
indeed  to  have  a  different  version  of  the  good  old 
English  maxim ;  and  act  as  if  it  were  to  he  read  ex¬ 
actly  the  reverse,  viz.  “  Never  to  do  to-day  what  can 
he  put  off  till  to-morrow.”  Under  the  circumstances 
in  which  we  were  placed,  it  was  of  course  a  slow  and 
wearisome  matter  to  make  the  necessary  preparations ; 
and  it  was  therefore  not  until  the  evening  of  Jan.  19th 
that  we  were  again  upon  the  Nile,  ploughing  its  cur¬ 
rent  with  a  fine  breeze  from  the  north,  under  the  bril¬ 
liant  light  of  an  African  moon. 

A  voyage  upon  the  Nile  at  this  season,  can  never 
he  otherwise  than  interesting.  The  weather  is  usually 
pleasant,  and  the  traveller  is  surrounded  by  scenes  and 
objects  striking  in  themselves,  and  closely  associated 
with  all  that  is  great  and  venerable  in  the  records  of 
the  ancient  world.  The  gleaming  waters  of  the 
mighty  river,  rushing  onward  in  ceaseless  flow;  the 
pyramids,  those  mysterious  monuments  of  gray  anti¬ 
quity,  stretching  in  a  range  along  the  western  shore 
from  Gizeh  upwards  beyond  Sakkarah  and  Dashur; 
the  frequent  villages  along  the  hanks,  each  in  the  bo¬ 
som  of  its  own  tall  grove  of  graceful  palm-trees ;  the 
broad  valley,  teeming  with  fertility,  and  shut  in  on 
both  sides  by  ranges  of  naked,  barren  mountains,  within 
which  the  desert  is  continually  striving  to  enlarge  its 
encroachments;  all  these  are  objects  which  cannot  be 
regarded  but  with  lively  emotions.  Nor  is  this  wholly 
a  scene  of  still  life.  The  many  boats  with  broad  la- 
teen  sails,  gliding  up  and  down ;  the  frequent  water¬ 
wheels,  Sfikiehj  by  which  water  is  raised  from  the 


28 


EGYPT. 


[Sec.  I. 


river  to  irrigate  the  fields;  the  more  numerous  Sha- 
dilfs)  who  laboriously  ply  their  little  sweep  and  bucket 
for  the  same  end  ;*  the  labourers  in  the  fields ;  the 
herds  of  neat  cattle  and  buffaloes ;  occasional  files  of 
camels  and  asses ;  large  flocks  of  pigeons,  ducks,  and 
wild-geese ;  and,  as  one  advances,  the  occasional  sight 
of  crocodiles  sleeping  on  a  sand-hank,  or  plunging  into 
the  water;  all  these  give  a  life  and  activity  to  the 
scene,  which  enhances  the  interest  and  adds  to  the 
exhilaration.  Yet  if  the  traveller  set  foot  on  shore, 
the  romance  of  his  river  voyage  will  quickly  he  dissi¬ 
pated.  He  will  find  the  soil  becoming  an  almost  im¬ 
palpable  powder  under  his  feet,  through  which  he  may 
wade  his  way  to  the  next  village ;  and  this  village  too 
he  will  find  to  he  only  the  squalid  abode  of  filth  and 
wretchedness ;  mud  hovels,  not  high  enough  to  stand 
up  in,  built  on  mounds  accumulated  in  the  course  of 
centuries  from  the  ruins  of  former  dwellings. 

The  voyage  from  Cairo  to  Thebes,  about  500  miles, 
varies  much  as  to  time,  according  to  the  wind ;  hut 
is  accomplished,  on  the  average,  in  about  twenty  days. 
It  takes  from  three  to  six  days  more  to  reach  the  first 
cataract  at  Aswan,  140  miles  further.  We  left  Cairo 
intending  to  visit  Thebes,  and  to  reach  the  cataract  if 
our  time  would  permit.  At  first  the  winds  were  very 
favourable.  We  pressed  forward  day  and  night;  and 
on  the  twelfth  day  had  accomplished  more  than  three 
quarters  of  the  distance  to  Thebes.  But  the  wind 
now  changed  to  the  south ;  and  the  only  mode  of  ad¬ 
vancing  further  was  by  tracking.  In  this  slow  and 
very  tedious  manner,  with  only  a  few  intervals  of  sail¬ 
ing,  we  reached  Thebes  on  the  nineteenth  day  from 
Cairo.  Six  months  before,  in  eighteen  days,  I  had 
crossed  the  Atlantic  from  New- York  to  Liverpool ! 
All  hope  of  reaching  the  cataract  was  now  abandoned ; 

1)  See  Note  II,  end  of  the  volume. 


Sec,  I.] 


THEBES. 


29 


and  we  set  to  work  in  earnest  to  employ,  in  the  best 
manner,  the  few  days  we  had  to  devote  to  the  ruins  of 
Thebes. 

I  am  not  about  to  write  a  description  of  these 
wonderful  remains  of  high  antiquity.  Wilkinson  has 
devoted  half  his  volume  to  them,  without  exhaust¬ 
ing  the  subject  in  any  part.  The  chief  points  of  in¬ 
terest  on  the  western  shore,  are  the  Memnonium,  the 
temples  of  Medinet  Habit,  the  statue  of  Memnon  and 
its  companion,  the  tombs  of  the  kings,  and  the  tombs 
in  the  hill  of  Sheikh  Abd  el-Kurneh.  On  the  eastern 
shore  are  the  temple  of  Luksor,  and  the  temple  or 
rather  immense  cluster  of  temples  of  Karnak. 

It  is  impossible  to  wander  among  these  scenes,  and 
behold  these  hoary  yet  magnificent  ruins,  without 
emotions  of  astonishment  and  deep  solemnity.  Every 
thing  around  testifies  of  vastness,  and  of  utter  desola¬ 
tion.  Here  lay  once  that  mighty  city,  whose  power  and 
splendour  were  proverbial  throughout  the  ancient 
world.  The  Jewish  prophet,  in  reproaching  great 
Nineveh,  breaks  forth  into  the  bitter  taunt :  “  Art  thou 
better  than  populous  No  [Thebes],  that  was  situate 
among  the  rivers,  the  waters  round  about  it ;  whose 
rampart  was  the  sea,  and  her  wall  from  the  sea  Vn 
Yet  even  then  Thebes  had  been  u  carried  away  into 
captivity ;  her  young  children  dashed  in  pieces  at  the 
top  of  all  her  streets ;  they  had  cast  lots  for  her  hon¬ 
ourable  men,  and  all  her  great  men  were  bound  in 
chains.”  Subsequently  she  was  again  plundered  by 
Cambyses,  and  destroyed  by  Ptolemy  Lathyrus.  Her 
countless  generations  have  passed  away,  leaving  their 
mighty  works  behind,  to  tell  to  wanderers  from  far 
distant  and  then  unknown  climes  the  story  of  her 
greatness  and  her  fall.  The  desert  hills  around  are 
filled  with  their  corpses,  for  which  they  vainly  strove 
1)  Nah.  iii.  8.  See  Note  III,  end  of  the  volume. 


30 


EGYPT* 


[Sec.  I. 


to  procure  an  exemption  from  the  dread  decree :  “  Dust 
thou  art,  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return.”  For  twen¬ 
ty-five  centuries  they  have  indeed  slept  securely  in 
their  narrow  abodes ;  from  which  they  are  now  daily 
wrested,  to  be  trampled  into  dust  and  scattered  to  the 
winds. 

The  character  of  Egyptian  architecture,  as  ex¬ 
hibited  in  the  temples  at  Thebes  and  elsewhere,  is 
heavy  and  vast ;  with  nothing  of  that  lightness,  and 
harmonious  proportion,  and  beautiful  simplicity,  which 
distinguish  the  Athenian  temples.  Yet  this  very  vast¬ 
ness,  coupled  with  the  associations  of  the  place,  pro¬ 
duces  a  strong  impression  of  sublimity.  All  is  gloomy, 
awful,  grand.  The  most  striking  specimens  of  this 
gigantic  architecture,  are  the  great  colonnade  at  Luk- 
sor,  which  we  first  visited  by  moonlight ;  and  espe¬ 
cially  the  grand  hall  at  Karnak,  “  one  hundred  and 
seventy  feet  by  three  hundred  and  twenty-nine,  sup¬ 
ported  by  a  central  avenue  of  twelve  massive  columns, 
sixty-six  feet  high  (without  the  pedestal  and  abacus), 
and  twelve  in  diameter;  besides  one  hundred  and 
twenty-two  of  smaller  or  rather  less  gigantic  dimen¬ 
sions,  forty-one  feet  nine  inches  in  height,  and  twen¬ 
ty-seven  feet  six  inches  in  circumference,  distributed 
in  seven  lines  on  either  side  of  the  former.”1  Nor 
were  the  decorations  of  these  temple-palaces  on  a  scale 
less  imposing.  The  two  colossal  statues  of  Amenoph 
(usually  called  of  Memnon),  seated  majestically  upon 
the  plain,  once  guarded  the  approach  to  the  temple- 
palace  of  that  king.  They  are  sixty  feet  high,  inclu¬ 
ding  the  pedestal.2  The  temple  has  perished ;  Mem¬ 
non  has  long  ceased  to  salute  the  rising  sun ;  and  the 
two  statues  now  sit  in  lonely  grandeur,  to  tell  what 
Thebes  once  was.  The  stupendous  statue  of  Reme- 
ses  II.  in  the  Memnonium,  a  single  block  of  Syenite 
1)  Wilkinson’s  Thebes,  etc.  p.  174.  2)  Ibid.  p.  35. 


Sec.  I.] 


THEBES, 


31 


granite,  now  prostrate  and  shattered,  still  “  measures 
from  the  shoulder  to  the  elbow  twelve  feet  ten  inches ; 
twenty-two  feet  four  inches  across  the  shoulders ;  and 
fourteen  feet  four  inches  from  the  neck  to  the  elbow/’1 
This  enormous  mass  is  nearly  three  times  as  large 
as  the  solid  contents  of  the  largest  obelisk.  How  it 
could  ever  have  been  transported  from  Upper  Egypt 
and  erected  here,  is  a  problem  which  modern  science 
cannot  solve ;  nor  is  there  much  less  difficulty  in  ac¬ 
counting  for  the  manner  of  its  destruction. 

The  Tombs  of  the  Kings  are  situated  among  the 
barren  mountains,  which  skirt  Thebes  upon  the  west ; 
in  a  narrow  valley  where  desolation  sits  enthroned. 
Not  a  tree  nor  shrub  is  to  be  seen ;  not  a  blade  of 
grass  or  herbage ;  not  even  a  trace  of  moss  upon  the 
rocks ;  but  all  is  naked  and  shattered,  as  if  it  had  been 
the  sport  of  thunders  and  lightnings  and  earthquakes 
ever  since  the  creation.  The  tombs  are  entered  by 
narrow  portals  in  the  sides  of  this  valley,  from  which 
a  corridor  usually  leads  by  a  slight  descent  to  halls 
and  apartments  on  either  side,  all  decorated  with 
paintings  in  vivid  colours,  representing  scenes  drawn 
from  the  life  of  the  deceased  monarch,  and  from  Egyp¬ 
tian  mythology,  or  sometimes  also  from  the  occupa¬ 
tions  of  common  life.  In  this  respect  these  tombs 
afford  the  finest  illustrations  of  the  manners  and  cus¬ 
toms  of  the  ancient  Egyptians.  In  the  chief  apart¬ 
ment  is  usually  a  large  sarcophagus.  Here  “  the  kings 
of  the  nations,  all  of  them,  lay  in  glory,  every  one  in 
his  own  house  but  “  they  have  been  cast  out  as  an 
abominable  branch.”2  The  tombs  of  the  priests  and 


1)  Wilkinson’s  Thebes,  etc.  p. 

10. 

2)  Isa.  xiv.  18,  19.  From  these 
or  similar  tombs  is  drawn  appa¬ 
rently  the  imagery  of  the  Hebrew 
prophet,  Ezek.  viii.  8-10  :  “  Then 
said  he  unto  me,  Son  of  Man,  dig 


now  in  the  wall :  and,  when  I  had 
digged  in  the  wall,  behold  a  door. 
And  he  said  unto  me,  Go  in,  and 
behold  the  wicked  abominations 
that  they  do  here.  So  I  went  in 
and  saw ;  and.  behold,  every  form 
of  creeping  things,  and  abominable 


32 


EGYPT. 


[Sec.  L 


private  persons  are  found  in  the  sides  of  the  hills  adj  a- 
cent  to  the  city.  They  are  on  a  smaller  scale ;  but 
are  often  decorated  with  equal  skill  and  beauty,  with 
scenes  drawn  from  common  life.1 

The  walls  of  all  the  temples  at  Thebes  are  covered 
with  sculptures  and  hieroglyphics,  representing  in  gen¬ 
eral  the  deeds  of  the  kings  who  founded  or  enlarged 
those  structures.  Many  of  these  afford  happy  illus¬ 
trations  of  Egyptian  history.  To  me  the  most  inte¬ 
resting  was  the  scene  which  records  the  exploits  of 
Sheshonk,  the  Shishak  of  the  Scriptures,  who  made  a 
successful  expedition  against  Jerusalem  in  the  fifth 
year  of  King  Rehoboam,  B.  C.  971. 2  These  sculp¬ 
tures  are  on  the  exterior  of  the  S.  W.  wall  of  the  great 
temple  of  Karnak.  They  represent  a  colossal  figure 
of  this  monarch  advancing,  and  holding  in  his  hand 
ten  cords,  which  are  attached  to  as  many  rows  of  cap¬ 
tives,  one  above  another,  behind  him.  These  he  pre¬ 
sents  to  the  deity  of  the  temple.  The  upper  rows, 
behind  the  middle  of  his  back,  contain  each  twelve  or 
fourteen  captives ;  the  lower  ones  extend  under  his 
feet,  and  have  more.  The  heads  and  shoulders  of  the 
captives  are  complete  ;  while  the  bodies  have  merely 
the  form  of  a.  cartouch  with  hieroglyphics,  containing 
perhaps  the  name  or  character  of  the  individual.3  In 
front  of  the  high  cap  of  the  monarch,  is  a  cartouch 


beasts,  and  all  the  idols  of  the  house 
•  of  Israel,  pourtrayed  upon  the  walls 
round  about.”  There  is  however 
no  direct  evidence  that  Egyptian 
sepulchres  were  made  the  seat  of 
idolatrous  rites  or  mysteries. 

1)  See  Note  IV,  end  of  the  vol. 

2)  1  Kings  xiv.  25,  seq.  2  Chron. 
xii.  2 — 9. 

3)  In  one  of  these  cartouches 
Champollion  and  Rosellini  profess 
to  read  the  words  Yuda  Hamelk , 

‘  King  of  Judah;’  and  they  consider 
this  captive  as  the  personification 
of  the  conquered  kingdom  of  Judah. 


But  Wilkinson  has  doubts.  In¬ 
deed  it  is  hardly  probable,  that  all 
these  individuals  should  represent 
different  nations  or  tribes,  as  the 
same  theory  assumes.  They  are 
too  numerous.  To  me  most  of 
them  seemed  to  have  Jewish  fea¬ 
tures,  with  short,  peaked  beards. 
Champollion  also  reads  the  names 
Beth-horon  and  Mahanaim.  See 
Champollion’s  Grammaire  Egypt- 
ienne,  p.  160.  Rosellini  Monu- 
menti  Storici,  II.  p.  79,  seq.  Wil¬ 
kinson’s  Manners  and  Cust.  of  the 
Anc.  Egyptians,  I.  p.  136. 


THEBES, 


Sec.  I.] 


33 


with  his  name ;  and  behind  him,  above  the  rows  of 
captives,  the  wall  is  covered  with  hieroglyphics. 

The  period  in  which  Thebes  enjoyed  the  highest 
prosperity,  was  probably  coeval  with  the  reigns  of 
David  and  Solomon,  the  earliest  Jewish  kings.  From 
the  language  of  the  prophet  Nahum  already  quoted, 
who  lived,  according  to  Josephus,  under  King  Jotham 
about  B.  C.  750,  and  perhaps  for  some  time  later, 
we  learn  that  the  city  had  already,  in  or  before  his 
day,  been  sacked,  apparently  by  a  foreign  conqueror.1 
This  event  may  not  improbably  stand  in  connection 
with  the  expedition  of  Tartan  alluded  to  by  the  co- 
temporary  prophet  Isaiah.2  Profane  history  is  silent 
in  respect  to  it,  and  speaks  only  of  the  capture  of  the 
city  by  Cambyses,  525  B.  C.,  and  of  its  final  destruc¬ 
tion  by  Ptolemy  Lathyrus,  after  a  siege  of  three  years, 
81  B.  C.  From  this  overthrow  it  never  recovered ; 
and  in  the  time  of  Strabo,  as  at  present,  its  site  was 
occupied  by  several  villages.3  The  preservation  of  its 
magnificent  remains,  so  far  as  this  is  not  dependent  on 
the  purity  and  uniformity  of  the  atmosphere,  must  be 
ascribed,  not  to  any  respect  or  veneration  on  the  part 
of  the  people  of  the  land ;  but  solely  to  the  circum¬ 
stance,  that  no  other  city  has  arisen  in  the  vicinity,  to 
abstract  and  absorb  in  its  own  buildings  the  materials 
of  the  Theban  structures. 

During  our  stay  at  Thebes,  and  during  our  whole 
voyage  up  and  down  the  river,  the  weather  was  un¬ 
commonly  fine  and  uniform,  and  of  a  temperature  like 
the  month  of  June  in  the  milder  parts  of  Europe  and 
America.  The  thermometer  ranged  at  sunrise  from 
40°  to  60°  ;  and  at  3  P.  M.  from  68°  to  82°  Farenheit. 
The  atmosphere  was  sometimes  hazy,  and  the  sky 
cloudy;  but  we  experienced  no  frost;  although  this 


2)  Ch.  xx. 

5 


1)  Jos.  Ant.  IX.  11. 3. 
VoL.  I. 


3)  Strabo  XVII.  1.  46. 


34 


EGYPT. 


[Sec.  I. 


sometimes  occurs.  The  common  report  that  rain  never' 
falls  in  Upper  Egypt,  is  incorrect.  One  evening  as 
we  lay  at  Kineh,  Feb.  4th,  there  was  a  slight  shower; 
the  thermometer  standing  at  the  time  at  77°  F.  with 
a  strong  south  wind.  The  valleys  too,  in  the  moun¬ 
tains  around  Thebes,  bear  evident  traces  of  occasional 
and  violent  rain.1 

We  arrived  at  Thebes  in  the  afternoon  of  Feb.  7th ; 
and  left  it  again  on  our  return  on  the  morning  of  F eb. 
11th.  The  downward  voyage  was  slow  and  tedious; 
our  boat  being  unfortunately  too  large  to  be  propelled 
rapidly  with  oars,  or  even  to  float  with  the  current 
against  a  strong  head- wind.  We  stopped  for  a  day 
at  the  temple  of  Dendera ;  and  visited  the  dilapidated 
tombs  in  the  mountains  back  of  Siout,  where  we  also 
enjoyed  the  noble  prospect  from  the  summit.  Another 
day  was  given  to  the  very  remarkable  tombs  of  Beni 
Hassan,  which  are  among  the  most  ancient  in  Egypt. 
We  finally  reached  Cairo  on  the  morning  of  Feb.  28th; 
where  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  meeting  my  future 
companion,  Mr.  Smith,  who  had  arrived  three  days 
before.  Here,  in  the  hospitable  dwelling  of  Mr.  Lieder 
and  the  welcome  society  of  valued  friends,  ‘I  soon  for¬ 
got  the  discomforts  of  the  voyage ;  and  was  able  to 
survey,  under  better  auspices  than  formerly,  the  city 
and  its  interesting  environs. 

Cairo  is  one  of  the  best  built  cities  of  the  East ; 
the  houses  are  of  stone,  large,  lofty,  and  solid.  The 
streets  are  narrow  and  often  crooked ;  and  the  houses 
sometimes  jut  over  them  upon  each  side,  so  as  almost 
to  meet  above.  Its  original  name  in  Arabic  was  el- 

1)  On  this  point  there  can  be  rains  fill  the  torrent-beds  of  the 
no  better  authority  than  Wil-  mountains,  which  run  to  the  banks 
kinson.  “  Showers,”  he  says,  “fall  of  the  Nile.  A  storm  of  this  kind 
annually  at  Thebes ;  perhaps  on  did  much  damage  to  Belzoni’s 
an  average  four  or  five  in  the  year  ;  tomb  some  years  ago.”  Thebes, 
and  every  eight  or  ten  years  heavy  etc.  p.  75. 


Sec.  I.] 


CAIRO. 


35 


Kahirah ;  but  it  is  now  universally  called  Musr ,  as 
were  the  former  capitals  of  Egypt.  The  population 
is  estimated  at  about  250,000  souls.  In  1835  the 
plague  made  fearful  ravages  in  Cairo,  sweeping  off 
not  less  than  80,000  of  its  inhabitants ;  hut  at  the  time 
of  our  visit,  the  population  was  supposed  to  have  again 
reached  its  usual  number.  Here,  as  in  Alexandria, 
donkies  with  Arab  boys  take  the  place  of  cabs  and 
fiacres.  A  full  and  most  perfect  description  of  the  city 
and  its  inhabitants  is  given  in  the  admirable  work  of 
Mr.  Lane.1 

During  the  twelve  days  that  we  now  remained  at 
Cairo,  we  were  of  course  much  occupied  with  the  pre¬ 
parations  for  our  future  journey  in  the  desert.  Yet  we 
took  time,  and  made  several  excursions  from  the  city 
to  places  in  the  neighbourhood.  One  was  to  the  Island 
of  Roda  just  below  Musr  el-Atikeh  or  Old  Cairo,  on 
which  Ibrahim  Pasha  has  caused  pretty  gardens  to  be 
laid  out,  partly  in  the  Italian  and  partly  in  the  Eng¬ 
lish  style.  On  the  south  end  of  this  island  is  the 
famous  Nilometer,  now  half  in  ruins,  dating  back  at 
least  as  far  as  A.  D.  860,  and  exhibiting  pointed  arches 
even  at  that  early  period.  Although  of  no  utility  at 
present,  it  is  carefully  guarded ;  and  we  found  difficulty 
in  obtaining  admission,  not  having  procured  the  ordi¬ 
nary  permit  in  Cairo.  At  Musr  el-Atikeh  are  the 
remains  of  a  Roman  fortress,  marking  the  site  of  the 
Egyptian  Babylon,  on  which  was  afterwards  built  the 
city  of  Fostat,  the  former  Arab  capital  of  Egypt.2 
Passing  eastward  over  the  immense  field  of  rubbish 
on  which  Fostat  once  stood,  we  entered  the  broad 
valley  or  desert  plain,  which  skirts  the  western  base 
of  Jebel  Mukattem,  to  the  southward  of  Cairo.  In 

1)  See  Note  V,  at  the  end  of  309.  Edrisi  says  expressly,  that 

the  volume.  it  was  called  Babylon  by  the 

2)  Wilkinson’s  Thebes,  etc.  p.  Greeks ;  p.  302  ed.  Jaubert. 


36 


EGYPT. 


[Sec.  I. 

this  desert  spot  is  one  of  the  largest  cemeteries  of  the 
city.  Here,  amid  the  thousands  of  humbler  sepulchres, 
the  Pasha  has  erected  a  splendid  edifice  with  two 
domes,  to  cover  the  tombs  of  his  family  and  himself. 
We  were  admitted  at  once,  and  passed  without  hin¬ 
drance  through  the  carpeted  halls  and  among  the 
highly  ornamented  tombs.  Those  of  the  Pasha’s  wife 
and  his  two  sons,  Ismail  and  Tussum,  are  the  most 
conspicuous.  In  a  corner  distant  from  these,  we  were 
shown  the  spot  reserved  by  the  Pasha  for  his  own  last 
abode. — Between  this  and  the  city,  the  whole  way  is 
full  of  tombs  and  sepulchral  enclosures. 

On  another  day  we  rode  out  to  the  site  of  ancient 
Heliopolis,  about  two  hours  N.  N.  E.  from  Cairo.  The 
way  thither  passes  along  the  edge  of  the  desert ;  which 
is  continually  making  its  encroachments  so  soon  as 
there  ceases  to  be  a  supply  of  water  for  the  surface  of 
the  ground.  The  water  of  the  Nile  soaks  through  the 
earth  for  some  distance  under  this  sandy  tract ;  and  is 
everywhere  found  on  digging  wells  eighteen  or  twenty 
feet  deep.  Such  wells  are  very  frequent  in  parts  which 
the  inundation  does  not  reach.  The  water  is  raised 
from  them  by  wheels  turned  by  oxen,  and  applied  to 
the  irrigation  of  the  fields.  Wherever  this  takes  place, 
the  desert  is  quickly  converted  into  a  fruitful  field.  In 
passing  to  Heliopolis  we  saw  several  such  fields  in  the 
different  stages  of  being  reclaimed  from  the  desert; 
some  just  laid  out,  others  already  fertile.  In  return¬ 
ing  by  another  way,  more  eastward,  we  passed  a  suc¬ 
cession  of  beautiful  plantations  wholly  dependent  on 
this  mode  of  irrigation.  The  site  of  Heliopolis  is 
marked  by  low  mounds,  inclosing  a  space  about  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  in  length,  by  half  a  mile  in  breadth ; 
which  was  once  occupied  partly  by  houses  and  partly 
by  the  celebrated  temple  of  the  Sun.  This  area  is 
now  a  ploughed  field,  a  garden  of  herbs ;  and  the  soli- 


Sec.  I.] 


HELIOPOLIS. 


37 


tary  obelisk  which  still  rises  in  the  midst,  is  the  sole 
remnant  of  the  former  splendours  of  the  place.  This 
was  that  On  of  the  Egyptians,  where  the  father  of 
Joseph’s  wife  was  priest.1  The  Seventy  translate  the 
name  On  by  Heliopolis,  City  of  the  Sun ;  and  the  He¬ 
brew  prophet  calls  it,  in  the  same  sense,  Bethshemesh.2 
The  city  suffered  greatly  from  the  invasion  of  Cam- 
byses ;  and  in  Strabo’s  time  it  was  a  mass  of  splendid 
ruins.3  In  the  days  of  Edrisi  and  Abdallatif,  the  place 
bore  the  name  of  ’Ain  Shems  ;4  and  in  the  neighbour¬ 
ing  village  Matariyeh  is  still  shown  an  ancient  well 
bearing  the  same  name.  Near  by  it  is  a  very  old 
sycamore,  its  trunk  straggling  and  gnarled,  under 
which  legendary  tradition  relates  that  the  holy  family 
once  rested. 

Farther  to  the  N.  E.,  towards  Belbeis,  are  several 
ruined  towns  on  lofty  mounds,  traditionally  called  Tell 
el-  Yehud^  1  Mounds  of  the  Jews.’  If  there  is  any  his¬ 
torical  foundation  for  this  name,  which  is  doubtful, 
these  mounds  can  only  be  referred  back  to  the  period 
of  the  Ptolemies,  in  the  centuries  immediately  before 
the  Christian  era,  when  great  numbers  of  Jews  re¬ 
sorted  to  Egypt  and  erected  a  temple  at  Leontopolis. 
It  was  in  the  same  age,  and  for  these  Jews,  that  the 
Greek  version  of  the  Old  Testament  was  made.5 

Our  most  important  excursion  was  to  the  pyra¬ 
mids,  situated  about  six  miles  west  of  el-Gizeh,  which 
lies  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Nile,  opposite  Old  Cairo. 
Crossing  the  river  at  the  place,  we  proceeded  on  a 


1)  Gen.  xli.  45.  Sept.  ib.  Ex.  i. 
ll.Ezek.  xxx.  17.  Herodot.  II.  3, 59. 

2)  Jer.  xliii.  13. 

3)  Strabo  XVII.  1.  27. 

4)  Edrisi,  pp.  306,  7,  ed.  Jaubert. 
Abdallatif  Relat.  de  I’Egypte,  par 
de  Sacy,  p.  180,  seq. 

5)  Wilkinson’s  Thebes,  etc.  p. 
323.  Niebuhr’s  Reisebeschr.  ,1.  p. 


213.  Joseph.  Antiq.  XIII.  3.  1,  2, 
3.  c.  Apion.  2.  5.— The  name  of 
Theodotus,  bishop  of  Leontopolis 
in  Egypt,  occurs  among  the  signa¬ 
tures  of  the  second  council  of  Con¬ 
stantinople,  A.  D.  553.  Harduin 
Acta  Concilior.  III.  .p.  52.  Comp, 
le  Q,uien  Oriens  Christ.  Tom  II. 
p.  554. 


38 


EGYPT. 


[Sec.  L 


direct  course  to  the  pyramids ;  although  at  other  sea¬ 
sons  of  the  year,  when  the  river  is  higher,  a  consider¬ 
able  circuit  is  necessary,  in  order  to  cross  the  Bahr 
Yusuf,  the  canal  which  runs  parallel  to  the  Nile. 
Even  now  the  water  in  it  was  so  deep,  that  we  could 
not  well  pass  it  on  donkies ;  but  were  carried  over  on 
the  shoulders  of  Arabs  from  the  adjacent  villages.  The 
pyramids,  as  seen  from  the  river  against  the  horizon, 
appeared  enormously  large ;  as  we  approached,  their 
apparent  magnitude  continually  diminished  ;  and  was 
nowhere  less,  than  as  seen  from  the  foot  of  the  rocky 
terrace  on  which  they  stand.  This  terrace  is  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  plain ;  and  the 
pyramids  are  thus  seen  only  against  the  sky,  without 
any  surrounding  objects  from  which  the  eye  can  judge 
of  their  relative  magnitude.  They  seem  here  to  he 
composed  of  small  stones,  and  to  have  no  great  eleva¬ 
tion.  But  as  we  approached  their  base,  and  became 
aware  of  the  full  size  of  the  stones,  and  looked  up¬ 
ward  along  their  mountain-sides  to  the  summit,  their 
huge  masses  seemed  to  swell  into  immensity,  and  the 
idea  of  their  vastness  was  absolutely  overpowering. 
They  are  probably  the  earliest,  as  well  as  the  loftiest 
and  most  vast  of  all  existing  works  of  man  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth ;  and  there  seems  now  little  room  to 
doubt,  that  they  were  erected  chiefly,  if  not  solely,  as 
the  sepulchres  of  kings.  Vain  pride  of  human  pomp 
and  power !  Their  monuments  remain  unto  this  day, 
the  wonder  of  all  time ;  but  themselves,  their  history, 
and  their  very  names,  have  been  swept  away  in  the 
dark  tide  of  oblivion. 

We  followed  the  usual  course  of  visitors.  We  ex¬ 
plored  the  dark  passages  of  the  interior ;  mounted  to 
the  summit  of  the  great  pyramid;  and  admired  the 
mild  features  of  the  gigantic  Sphynx,  the  body  of  which 
is  again  nearly  covered  by  the  drifting  sand.  We  also 


Sec.  I.] 


THE  PYRAMIDS. 


39 


visited  several  of  the  adjacent  tombs;  and  examined 
those  which  had  then  recently  been  cleared  from  the 
sand,  under  the  direction  of  Col.  Vyse. — The  ascent 
of  the  great  pyramid  is  less  difficult,  than  a  visit  to  its 
interior.  The  top  is  now  a  square  platform  of  about 
thirty  feet  on  each  side,  at  an  elevation  of  four  hun¬ 
dred  and  seventy-four  feet  above  the  base.1  The  view 
from  it  is  very  extensive ;  in  front,  Cairo  and  numerous 
villages,  with  their  groves  of  slender  palm-trees;  in 
the  rear,  the  trackless  Libyan  wastes  ;  on  the  south, 
the  range  of  smaller  pyramids  extending  for  a  great 
distance  along  the  edge  of  the  desert ;  and  then  in 
boundless  prospect,  north  and  south,  the  mighty  river, 
winding  its  way  through  the  long  line  of  verdure  which 
it  has  w-on  by  its  waters  from  the  reluctant  grasp  of 
the  desert  upon  either  side.  The  platform  is  covered 
with  the  names  of  travellers,  who  have  resorted  hither 
in  different  ages  from  various  and  distant  lands ;  and 
have  here  stood  as  upon  a  common  and  central  point 
in  the  history  of  the  world.  Here  too  we  found  an 
American  corner,  with  the  names  both  of  living  and 
departed  friends. 

We  left  the  great  pyramids  the  same  evening,  and 
proceeded  southwards  along  the  edge  of  the  desert  to 
Sakkara,  where  we  slept ;  and  the  next  morning  visit¬ 
ed  the  tombs  in  the  neighbouring  cliffs  and  the  great 
necropolis  around  the  adjacent  pyramids.  The  whole 
tract  here  was  anciently  a  cemetery.  Pits  leading  to 
the  chambers  of  death  have  been  opened  in  every  di¬ 
rection  ;  and  the  ground  is  everywhere  strewed  with 
the  bones  and  cerements  of  mummies.  Such  a  field 
of  dead  men’s  bones,  I  have  nowhere  else  seen.  There 
can  be  little  doubt,  that  all  this  long  tract,  from  the 
pyramids  of  Gizeli  to  those  of  Dashur,  was  once  the 


I)  Wilkinson’s  Thebes,  etc.  p.  323. 


40  EGYPT.  [Sec.  I. 

great  necropolis  of  ancient  Memphis,  which  lay  be¬ 
tween  it  and  the  Nile.1 

We  now  bent  our  course  towards  Mitraheny,  near 
the  river,  where  are  the  large  mounds  which  mark  the 
site  of  Memphis.2  These  mounds  of  rubbish,  a  colossal 
statue  sunk  deep  in  the  ground,  and  a  few  fragments 
of  granite,  are  all  that  remain  to  attest  the  existence 
of  this  renowned  capital.  In  Strabo’s  time,  although 
partly  in  ruins,  it  was  yet  a  populous  city,  second  only 
to  Alexandria ;  and  in  the  days  of  Abdallatif  there 
were  still  extensive  ruins.3  In  this  instance  the  abodes 
of  the  dead  have  proved  to  be  more  lasting  than  the 
habitations  of  the  living.  But  the  total  disappearance 
of  all  the  ancient  edifices  of  Memphis  is  easily  account¬ 
ed  for,  by  the  circumstance,  that  the  materials  of  them 
were  employed  for  the  building  of  adjacent  cities. 
Fostat  arose  out  of  the  ruins  of  Memphis;  and  when 
that  city  was  in  turn  deserted,  these  ruins  again  mi¬ 
grated  to  the  more  modern  Cairo. — We  crossed  the 
river,  and  having  visited  the  ancient  quarries  near 
Tura,  from  which  the  stones  were  cut  for  the  pyramids, 
we  returned  to  Cairo  along  the  eastern  bank. 

A  few  words  on  the  political  and  social  condition 
of  Egypt  under  its  present  ruler,  Muhammed  ’  Aly,  may 
close  this  introductory  section.  This  extraordinary 
man,  with  native  talents  which  in  other  circumstances 
might  have  made  him  the  Napoleon  of  the  age,  has 
accumulated  in  Egypt  a  large  amount  of  wealth  and 
power ;  but  he  has  done  it  only  for  himself, — not  for 


1)  Two  of  the  pyramids  of  Da- 
shur  are  built  of  brick.  We  had 
often  occasion  to  see  both  the  an¬ 
cient  and  modern  bricks  of  Egypt. 
They  are  unburnt,  and  are  made 
of  the  mud  of  the  Nile  mingled  with 
chopped  straw  to  bind  it  together ; 
on  the  same  principle  that  hair  is 
sometimes  used  in  making  mortar. 


Compare  the  narrative  in  Ex.  v.  7, 
seq. 

2)  In  Arabic  Menf,  in  Hebrew 
Moph ,  Hos.  ix.  6.  Also  under  the 
name  of  Noph ,  Is.  xix.  13.  Jer.  ii.  16. 

3)  Strabo  lib.  XVII.  1. 32.  Ab¬ 
dallatif  Relation  de  l’Egypte,  par 
de  Sacy,  p.  184,  seq.  Abdallatif 
was  born  A.  D.  1161. 


Sec.  L] 


MUHAMMED  ALY, 


41 


the  country,  nor  even  for  his  family.  He  has  built  up 
an  army  and  fleet,  not  by  husbanding  and  enlarging 
the  resources  of  Egypt,  but  by  draining  them  almost 
to  exhaustion.  The  army  consists  chiefly  of  levies 
torn  from  their  families  and  homes  by  brutal  force. 
We  saw  many  gangs  of  these  unfortunate  recruits  on 
the  river  and  around  Cairo,  fastened  by  the  neck  to  a 
long  heavy  chain  which  rested  on  their  shoulders. 
Such  is  the  horror  of  this  service  among  the  peasantry, 
and  their  dread  of  being  thus  seized,  that  children  are 
often  mutilated  in  their  fingers,  their  teeth,  or  an  eye, 
in  order  to  protect  them  from  it.1  Yet  the  country  is 
now  so  drained  of  able-bodied  men,  that  even  these 
unfortunate  beings  are  no  longer  spared.  In  the  com¬ 
panies  of  recruits  which  were  daily  under  drill  around 
the  Ezbekiyeh,  we  saw  very  many  who  had  lost  a 
finger,  or  their  front  teeth ;  so  that  an  English  resident 
proposed  in  bitter  irony  to  recommend  to  the  Pasha, 
that  his  troops  should  appear  only  in  gloves.  Indeed, 
it  is  a  notorious  fact,  that  this  drain  of  men  for  the 
army  and  navy  has  diminished  and  exhausted  the  pop¬ 
ulation,  until  there  are  not  labourers  enough  left  to 
till  the  ground ;  so  that  in  consequence  large  tracts  of 
fertile  land  are  suffered  to  lie  waste. 

The  same  line  of  policy,  or  impolicy,  has  been  pur¬ 
sued  in  the  introduction  of  manufactures  and  schools 
of  science.  The  sole  object  of  the  Pasha  has  been, 
not  to  benefit  the  nation,  but  to  augment  his  own 
wealth,  and  increase  the  capability  of  the  instruments 
of  his  power.  With  barbarian  eagerness,  he  has  over¬ 
looked  the  planting  of  the  seed,  and  grasps  only  after 

1)  “  There  is  now  (in  1834)  sel-  cartridge,)  or  a  finger  cut  off,  or 
dom  to  be  found,  in  any  of  the  an  eye  pulled  out  or  blinded,  to 
villages,  an  able-bodied  youth  or  prevent  his  being  taken  for  a  re¬ 
young  man,  who  has  not  had  one  cruit.”  Lane’s  Modern  Egyptians, 
or  more  of  his  teeth  broken  out,  f.  p.  246. 

( that  he  may  not  be  able  to  bite  a 

Vol.  I.  6 


42 


EGYPT. 


[Sec.  I. 


the  ripe  fruit.  Not  a  step  has  been  taken  for  the  edu¬ 
cation  and  improvement  of  the  people  at  large ;  hut 
all  the  schools  established  are  intended  solely  to  train 
up  young  men  for  his  own  service.  The  workmen  in 
the  manufactories  in  like  manner  labour  only  by  com¬ 
pulsion,  and  are  recruited  by  force  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  soldiers.  When  once  a  manufactory  of  any  ar¬ 
ticle  has  been  established  by  the  Pasha,  it  is  made  a 
complete  monopoly;  and  the  people  must  purchase 
from  him  that  article  at  his  own  price,  or  go  without. 
Thus,  not  a  family  in  Egypt  dares  to  spin  and  weave 
the  cotton  stuffs  which  they  wear  upon  their  own 
bodies. 

The  people  of  Egypt,  formerly  the  owners  as  well 
as  the  tillers  of  the  soil,  would  seem  to  be  an  object  of 
peculiar  and  wanton  oppression  to  the  government,  or 
at  least  to  its  subordinate  ministers.  Whenever  requi¬ 
sitions  are  made  upon  the  people  by  the  former,  the 
latter  are  sure  to  extort  nearly  the  double.  By  a  sin¬ 
gle  decree,  the  Pasha  declared  himself  to  be  the  sole 
owner  of  all  the  lands  in  Egypt ;  and  the  people  of 
course  became  at  once  only  his  tenants  at  will,  or 
rather  his  slaves.  It  is  interesting  to  compare  this 
proceeding  with  a  similar  event  in  the  ancient  history 
of  Egypt  under  the  Pharaohs.1  At  the  entreaty  of 
the  people  themselves,  Joseph  bought  them  and  their 
land  for  Pharaoh,  so  that  “  the  land  became  Phara¬ 
oh’s  but  he  gave  them  bread  in  return,  to  sustain 
them  and  their  families  in  the  time  of  famine.  “  Only 
the  land  of  the  priests  he  bought  not but  the  mod¬ 
ern  Pharaoh  made  no  exception,  and  stripped  the 
mosks  and  other  religious  and  charitable  institutions 
of  their  landed  endowments,  as  mercilessly  as  the  rest. 
Joseph  also  gave  the  people  seed  to  sow,  and  required 


1)  Gen.  xlvii.  18 — 26. 


Sec.  I.] 


MUHAMMED  ALY, 


43 


for  the  king  only  a  fifth  of  the  produce,  leaving  four 
fifths  to  them  as  their  own  property ;  but  now,  though 
seed  is  in  like  manner  given  out,  yet  every  village  is 
compelled  to  cultivate  two  thirds  of  its  lands  with 
cotton  and  other  articles  solely  for  the  Pasha ;  and 
also  to  render  back  to  him,  in  the  form  of  taxes  and 
exactions  in  kind,  a  large  proportion  of  the  produce  of 
the  remaining  third.  And  further,  not  only  is  every 
individual  held  responsible  for  the  burdens  laid  upon 
himself;  but  also,  as  the  inhabitant  of  a  village,  he  is 
bound  to  make  good  in  part  or  in  whole,  as  the  case 
may  be,  the  delinquency  or  arrears  of  every  other  in¬ 
habitant.  Sometimes,  too,  a  village  which  has  paid 
up  all  its  own  dues,  is  compelled  to  make  good  the 
arrears  of  another  village.  As  might  be  expected  in 
such  a  state  of  things,  there  is  among  the  peasantry 
an  utter  depravation  of  morals  and  degradation  of 
character.1 

Of  Muhammed  ’Aly  himself,  it  is  universally  admit¬ 
ted  in  Egypt,  that  while  he  is  energetic  and  severe, 
he  is  yet  by  nature  neither  cruel  nor  revengeful.  The 
people  in  general  do  not  ascribe  their  oppression  so 
much  to  the  Pasha,  as  to  his  subordinate  agents. 
They  suppose,  that  if  the  murmurs  of  the  peasantry 
could  reach  his  ear,  the  immediate  and  pressing  evils 
would  be  remedied.2  In  one  respect,  the  energy  of 
Muhammed  ’ Aly  deserves  all  praise ;  although  the  se¬ 
verity  by  which  it  is  attended  may  not  always  be  the 
most  justifiable.  He  has  rendered  the  countries  under 
his  sway  secure ;  so  that  travellers,  whether  Orientals 
or  Franks,  may  pass  in  their  own  dress  throughout 
Egypt  and  Syria,  and  also  among  the  Bedawin  of  the 
adjacent  deserts,  with  the  same  degree  of  safety  as  in 
many  parts  of  civilized  Europe. — How  different  might 

1)  Compare  Lane’s  Account,  2)  Comp.  Wilkinson’s  Thebes, 
etc.  I.  p.  156,  seq.  etc.  p.  282. 


44 


EGYPT. 


[Sec.  I. 


have  been  the  state  of  Egypt,  had  he  adapted  his  mea¬ 
sures  to  the  true  policy  of  the  country ;  and  instead  of 
aggrandizing  himself  by  grasping  rapacity  and  foreign 
conquest,  had  made  Egypt  what  it  ought  to  be,  an 
agricultural  nation,  and  diffused  the  blessings  of  per¬ 
sonal  freedom  and  education  among  the  people !  Un¬ 
der  such  a  policy,  the  extreme  fertility  of  the  soil  and 
its  capacity  for  the  production  of  almost  every  article 
of  consumption  and  commerce,  would  soon  have  en¬ 
larged  the  resources  of  the  country  to  an  unlimited 
extent;  and  given  to  Egypt  once  more  a  name  and  rank 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

In  one  point  of  view,  the  innovations  of  the  present 
ruler  of  Egypt  open  up  a  cheering  prospect.  His  whole 
line  of  policy  has  been  obviously  founded  on  a  convic¬ 
tion  and  tacit  acknowledgment  of  the  superiority  of 
European  arts  and  arms.  The  discipline  of  his  troops, 
the  organization  of  his  fleet,  the  establishment  of  schools 
and  manufactories,  have  all  sprung  from  this  principle ; 
and  are  an  attempt  on  his  part  to  procure,  by  a  forced 
process,  advantages,  which  can  only  result  from  a  gra¬ 
dual  and  general  development  and  improvement. 
True,  he  might  as  well  expect  to  reap  where  he  has 
not  sown ;  or  command  the  fruit  to  spring  ripe  from  the 
tree,  without  the  intervention  of  blossoms.  Yet  one 
good  effect  has  resulted  from  his  measures ;  this  same 
conviction  of  European  superiority  has  spread  from 
the  ruler  among  the  people ;  and,  in  consequence,  the 
stronghold  of  Muhammedan  prejudice  and  contempt 
towards  European  Christians,  is  fast  breaking  down 
and  vanishing  away.  Then  too,  from  the  example  of 
Egypt,  a  similar  conviction  has  been  forced  upon  the 
ruler  of  the  Turkish  empire ;  and  the  like  effects  are 
rapidly  developing  themselves  in  his  dominions.  Even 
now,  Franks  in  their  own  dress  may  wander  alone 
through  all  the  streets  of  Cairo  and  Constantinople, 


Sec.  I.] 


MUHAMMED  ALY, 


45 


and  of  other  oriental  cities,  as  freely  as  in  London  or 
New -York,  without  hindrance  or  molestation;  where 
fifteen  years  ago  they  would  have  been  followed  with 
curses,  and  perhaps  with  stones.  If  they  travel  in  the 
interior,  they  are  everywhere  received  with  courtesy, 
and  usually  with  kindness.  Such  at  least  was  the 
result  of  our  inquiries  and  experience. — A  still  more 
important  consequence  of  this  state  of  things  has  been, 
that  the  Egyptian  government,  and  recently  that  of 
Turkey  also,  have  placed  their  native  Christian  sub¬ 
jects  on  an  equal  footing  with  the  Muhammedans,  as 
to  civil  rights  and  justice ;  and  have  done  away,  or  at 
least  forbidden,  the  hereditary  and  wanton  oppres¬ 
sions  exercised  by  the  latter.1 

All  these  things  mark  important  changes  as  hav¬ 
ing  already  taken  place  in  the  oriental  character  and 
feelings  ;  and  new  causes  are  daily  springing  into  ope¬ 
ration,  which  will  necessarily  render  these  changes 
not  only  permanent,  but  progressive.  The  introduc¬ 
tion  of  steam-navigation  in  the  Levant  and  on  the  Nile 
and  Black  Sea,  is  bringing  the  power  of  European 
civilization  into  still  closer  contact  with  the  East, 
and  cannot  but  augment  its  influence  a  thousand- fold. 
Already  the  oriental  churches  are  in  parts  beginning 
to  awake  from  their  slumber  ;  and  the  whole  fabric  of 
Muhammedan  prejudice  and  superstition  is  sapped 
and  tottering  to  its  fall.  In  all  human  probability, 
the  coming  generation  will  behold  changes  and  revo¬ 
lutions  in  the  oriental  world,  of  which  few  now  have 
any  conception.  Then  may  the  Egyptian  people  be 
freed  from  the  oppressions  under  which  they  now 

1)  Since  the  above  paragraphs  weakness  of  the  Egyptian  and 
were  written,  Sultan  Mahmud  has  Turkish  governments  at  the  time, 
descended  to  the  tomb;  and  the  Yet  I  see  no  reason  for  changing 
battle  of  Nizib  and  the  defection  of  any  of  the  views  expressed  in  the 
the  Turkish  fleet  have  demonstra-  text..— For  the  best  books,  etc.  on 
ted  the  comparative  strength  and  Egypt?  see  Note  VI. 


46 


INTRODUCTORY. 


[Sec.  I. 


groan, — a  bondage  more  galling  than  that  inflicted  by 
their  ancestors  upon  the  Israelites  of  old ;  then  may 
Egypt  cease  to  be,  what  she  so  long  has  been,  “  the 
basest  of  kingdoms.” 

In  respect  to  our  further  journey,  it  may  be  proper 
to  remark,  that  I  entered  upon  it  without  the  slightest 
anticipation  of  the  results  to  which  we  were  provi¬ 
dentially  led.  My  first  motive  had  been  simply  the 
gratification  of  personal  feelings.  As  in  the  case  of 
most  of  my  countrymen,  especially  in  New  England, 
the  scenes  of  the  Bible  had  made  a  deep  impression 
upon  my  mind  from  the  earliest  childhood ;  and  after¬ 
wards  in  riper  years  this  feeling  had  grown  into  a 
strong  desire  to  visit  in  person  the  places  so  remarka¬ 
ble  in  the  history  of  the  human  race.  Indeed  in  no 
country  of  the  world,  perhaps,  is  such  a  feeling  more 
widely  diffused  than  in  New  England ;  in  no  country 
are  the  Scriptures  better  known,  or  more  highly  prized. 
From  his  earliest  years  the  child  is  there  accustomed 
not  only  to  read  the  Bible  for  himself ;  but  he  also 
reads  or  listens  to  it  in  the  morning  and  evening  devo¬ 
tions  of  the  family,  in  the  daily  village-school,  in  the 
Sunday-school  and  Bible-class,  and  in  the  weekly  min¬ 
istrations  of  the  sanctuary.  Hence,  as  he  grows  up, 
the  names  of  Sinai,  Jerusalem,  Bethlehem,  the  Prom¬ 
ised  Land,  become  associated  with  his  earliest  recol¬ 
lections  and  holiest  feelings. — With  all  this,  in  my 
own  case,  there  had  subsequently  become  connected 
a  scientific  motive.  I  had  long  meditated  the  prepa¬ 
ration  of  a  work  on  Biblical  Geography  ;  and  wished 
to  satisfy  myself  by  personal  observation,  as  to  many 
points  on  which  I  could  find  no  information  in  the 
books  of  travellers.  This  indeed  grew  to  be  the  main 
object  of  our  journey — the  nucleus  around  which  all 
our  inquiries  and  observations  clustered.  But  I  never 


Sec.  I.] 


INTRODUCTORY. 


47 


thought  of  adding  any  thing  to  the  former  stock  of 
knowledge  on  these  subjects  ;  I  never  dreamed  of  any 
thing  like  discoveries  in  this  field.  Palestine  had  for 
centuries  been  visited  by  many  travellers ;  and  I  knew 
that  Schubert  had  just  preceded  us,  to  explore  the 
country  in  its  physical  aspects,  its  botany  and  ge¬ 
ology;  and  we  could  hope  to  add  nothing  to  what 
he  and  others  had  observed. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  impressions,  we  car¬ 
ried  with  us  no  instruments,  except  an  ordinary  sur¬ 
veyor’s  and  two  pocket  compasses,  a  thermometer,  tel¬ 
escopes,  and  measuring-tapes  ;  expecting  to  take  only 
such  bearings  and  measurements  as  might  occur  to  us 
upon  the  road,  without  going  out  of  our  way  to  seek 
for  them.  But  as  we  came  to  Sinai,  and  saw  how 
much  former  travellers  had  left  undescribed  ;  and  then 
crossed  the  great  desert  through  a  region  hitherto  al¬ 
most  unknown,  and  found  the  names  and  sites  of  long- 
forgotten  cities ;  we  became  convinced  that  there 
“  yet  remained  much  land  to  be  possessed,”  and  de¬ 
termined  to  do  what  we  could  with  our  limited  means 
towards  supplying  the  deficiency.  Both  Mr.  Smith 
and  myself  kept  separate  journals  ;  each  taking  pen¬ 
cil-notes  upon  the  spot  of  every  thing  we  wished  to 
record,  and  writing  them  out  in  full  usually  the  same 
evening ;  but  we  never  compared  our  notes.  These 
journals  are  now  in  my  hands;  and  from  them  the 
following  work  has  been  compiled.  On  thus  compa¬ 
ring  them  for  the  first  time,  I  have  been  surprised  and 
gratified  at  their  almost  entire  coincidence.  My  own 
notes  were  in  general  more  full  in  specifications  of 
time,  the  course,  the  features  of  the  country,  and  per¬ 
sonal  incidents ;  while  those  of  my  companion  were 
necessarily  my  sole  dependence  in  respect  to  Arabic 
names  and  their  orthography,  and  chiefly  so  as  to  all 
information  derived  orally  from  the  Arabs.  The  bear- 


48 


INTRODUCTORY, 


[Sec.  I. 


ings  also  were  mostly  taken  by  Mr.  Smith ;  since  it 
often  required  a  great  deal  of  questioning  and  cross- 
examination,  in  order  to  extract  the  necessary  infor¬ 
mation  from  the  Arabs  as  to  distant  places  and  their 
names.  This  department  therefore  naturally  fell  to 
him :  while  I  contented  myself  usually  with  taking 
the  bearings  of  such  places  as  were  already  known  to 
us.  It  is  only  since  my  return,  that  I  became  aware 
of  the  value  of  the  materials  thus  collected,  in  a  geo¬ 
graphical  point  of  view,  from  the  judgment  passed  on 
them  by  eminent  geographers  ;  and  I  look  back  with 
painful  regret  on  the  circumstances,  which  prevented 
me  from  taking  along  more  perfect  instruments,  and 
from  obtaining  a  more  exact  knowledge  of  the  obser¬ 
vations  necessary  for  the  trigonometrical  construction 
of  a  map. 

With  books  we  were  better  supplied.  First  of  all 
we  had  our  Bibles,  both  in  English  and  in  the  original 
tongues  ;  and  then  Reland’s  Palcestina ,  which  next  to 
the  Bible  is  the  most  important  book  for  travellers  in 
the  Holy  Land.  We  had  also  Raumer’s  Paldstina , 
Burckhardt’s  Travels  in  Syria  and  the  Holy  Land , 
the  English  compilation  from  Laborde’s  Voyage  en 
Arabie  Petree ,  and  the  Modern  Traveller  in  Arabia, 
Palestine,  and  Syria.  Were  I  to  make  the  journey 
again,  considering  the  difficulty  of  transporting  books, 
I  should  hardly  add  much  to  the  above  list,  excepting 
perhaps  a  compendious  History  of  the  Crusades,  and 
the  volume  of  Ritter’s  Erdkunde,  containing  Palestine 
in  the  second  edition.  At  Jerusalem  we  had  access 
to  the  works  of  Josephus,  and  of  several  travellers. — - 
We  had  with  us  Laborde’s  large  Map  of  Sinai  and 
Arabia  Petraea ;  and  also  Berghaus’  Map  of  Syria,  the 
best  undoubtedly  up  to  the  present  time,  but  which 
was  of  little  service  to  us  in  the  parts  of'  the  country 
we  visited. 


SECTION  II. 


FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ. 

The  preparations  for  a  journey  of  some  thirty  days 
through  the  desert,  occupied  a  good  deal  of  time.  A 
tent  was  to  be  purchased  and  fitted  up ;  water-skins 
were  to  be  procured  and  kept  full  of  water,  which  was 
to  be  changed  every  day  in  order  to  extract  the  strong 
taste  of  the  leather  ;  provisions  were  to  be  laid  in  for 
a  whole  month,  as  we  could  hope  to  obtain  little  either 
at  Suez  or  at  the  Convent ;  besides  all  the  numerous 
smaller  articles  which  are  essential  to  the  traveller’s 
progress  and  health,  even  if  he  renounce  all  expecta¬ 
tion  of  convenience  and  comfort.  In  all  these  pur¬ 
chases  we  were  greatly  indebted  to  the  faithful  ser¬ 
vices  of  our  Janizary  Mustafa,  whom  we  remember 
with  gratitude. 

We  chose  a  large  tent  with  a  single  pole.  This 
was  folded  into  two  rolls,  for  which  we  had  sacks ;  so 
that  it  was  easily  packed  and  loaded,  and  suffered  little 
damage  on  the  way.  We  had  large  pieces  of  painted 
canvass  to  spread  upon  the  ground  under  our  beds; 
and  found  these  more  convenient  than  poles  or  bed¬ 
steads  ;  as  the  matresses  could  be  rolled  up  in  them 
during  the  day,  and  thus  be  protected  from  dust  or 
rain.  At  a  later  period,  when  we  came  to  travel  with 
horses  and  mules  in  Palestine,  we  left  our  matresses 
behind,  taking  only  blankets  and  other  covering,  which 
might  by  day  be  thrown  over  our  saddles.  Indeed,  if 
Vol.  I.  7 


50 


FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ. 


[Sec.  H. 


he  choose,  the  traveller  can  very  well  do  without  either 
bed  or  tent,  provided  he  has  cloaks  and  covering  enough 
to  protect  him  from  the  night-chill.  But  to  us  it  was 
important  to  keep  a  tolerably  full  record  of  our  obser¬ 
vations  ;  and  for  this  a  tent  and  lights  were  necessary. 
Our  provisions  consisted  chiefly  of  rice  and  biscuit. 
The  latter  is  bulky ;  and  at  a  later  period  we  sub¬ 
stituted  for  it  flour,  from  which  our  servants  made 
unleavened  bread ;  this  was  baked  in  thin  cakes 
upon  an  iron  plate,  and  proved  quite  palatable  and  not 
unwholesome.  Flesh  may  be  obtained  occasionally 
from  the  Arabs  upon  the  way.  With  coflfee,  tea,  sugar, 
butter,  dried  apricots,  tobacco,  wax-candles,  etc.  we 
were  well  supplied.  We  found  the  dried  apricots  quite 
a  luxury  in  the  desert ;  and  a  timely  distribution  of 
coflfee  and  tobacco  among  the  Arabs  is  an  easy  mode 
of  winning  their  favour  and  confidence.  We  had 
wooden  boxes,  like  those  of  the  Mecca  pilgrims,  for 
packing  many  of  the  articles  ;  but  afterwards  aban¬ 
doned  them  for  small  sacks  and  larger  saddle-bags  of 
hair-cloth,  like  those  of  the  Bedawin.  These  proved 
to  be  more  advantageous,  as  diminishing  the  bulk  of 
the  loads,  and  thus  removing  a  source  of  expense  and 
a  cause  of  grumbling  among  the  camel-drivers  and 
muleteers.  We  took  also  a  supply  of  charcoal,  which 
proved  of  essential  service. 

We  hired  two  Egyptian  servants,  who  continued 
with  us  all  the  way  to  Beirut.  The  elder,  whom  we 
knew  only  by  the  name  of  Komeh,  (although  that 
seemed  not  to  be  his  real  name,)  was  a  fine  resolute 
fellow,  faithful  and  trust-worthy  in  all  he  undertook, 
and  ready  to  stand  by  us  to  the  last  drop  of  blood. 
He  spoke  nothing  but  Arabic  ;  had  formerly  been  sent 
with  a  missionary  family  to  Abyssinia,  as  their  guide 
and  purveyor ;  and  had  also  been  at  Mecca ;  for  which 
reason  he  was  sometimes  dignified  with  the  title  of 


Sec.  II.] 


PREPARATIONS. 


51 


Hajji  Komeh.  The  younger,  Ibrahim,  spoke  a  little 
English,  and  answered  our  purpose  well  enough  as  a 
helper  to  the  other. 

It  was  for  a  time  quite  a  matter  of  deliberation  with 
us,  whether  we  should  take  any  arms.  We  knew  that 
the  country  was  entirely  safe,  and  arms  unnecessary, 
as  far  as  J  Akabah,  and  also  in  Palestine ;  hut  as  to  the 
desert  tracts  between,  we  were  not  so  sure.  We  might 
very  probably  come  in  contact  with  the  lawless  hordes 
that  roam  through  these  wastes  ;  and  then  the  mere 
shore  of  arms  would  protect  us  from  annoyance  and  vex¬ 
ations,  which  might  he  attempted  if  we  were  known 
to  be  wholly  unarmed.  On  this  ground  we  purchased 
two  old  muskets  and  a  pair  of  old  pistols,  in  which  our 
servants  and  Arab  guides  usually  took  great  pride; 
and  we  afterwards  had  reason  to  believe  that  we  had 
acted  wisely.  It  will  of  course  be  understood,  that 
we  never  had  a  thought  of  actually  using  these  wea¬ 
pons  for  personal  defence  against  the  Arabs ;  for  this, 
we  knew,  would  only  bring  down  tenfold  vengeance 
on  our  heads. 

The  time  has  gone  by  when  it  was  necessary  for  a 
Frank  to  assume  the  oriental  dress  in  any  part  of 
Egypt  or  Syria.  It  may  sometimes  he  convenient  to 
do  so,  if  he  is  to  reside  long  in  the  country ;  hut  in  the 
case  of  the  mere  traveller,  it  now  only  excites  the  ridi¬ 
cule  of  the  natives.  A  person  in  a  Frank  dress,  with 
a  long  beard,  they  hold  to  he  a  Jew.  We  usually 
wore  the  Tarbush  or  red  cap  of  the  country,  as  a  mat¬ 
ter  of  convenience ;  hut  in  the  desert  a  broad-brimmed 
hat  of  light  materials  is  desirable.  We  also  took  with 
us  each  a  common  Arab  cloak,  to  throw  over  our 
Frank  dresses  in  case  of  suspicious  appearances  at  a 
distance ;  but  we  were  never  called  to  use  them  on  any 
occasion  of  this  kind. 

In  consequence  of  an  application  from  Mr.  Gliddon 


52 


FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ. 


[Sec.  II. 


senior,  we  received  from  the  Pasha  a  Firman,  or  pro¬ 
perly  speaking  a  Buyuruldy ,  for  our  protection ;  and 
the  English  Vice-Consul,  Dr.  Walne,  was  so  kind  as 
to  procure  for  us  a  letter  from  Hahib  Effendi  to  the 
Governor  of  ’Akabah,  and  another  from  the  Greek 
Convent  in  Cairo  to  that  in  Mount  Sinai.  At  the  Eng¬ 
lish  Consulate  we  also  found  Bedawin  from  Sinai; 
many  of  whom  are  continually  in  Cairo  with  their 
camels,  and  are  much  employed  in  transporting  coals 
from  thence  to  Suez,  for  the  steam-vessels  on  the  Red 
Sea.  We  had  wished  to  obtain  Tuweileb  as  our  guide, 
who  has  of  late  years  become  so  well  known  among 
travellers;  hut  he  was  not  then  in  Cairo.  We  there¬ 
fore,  with  the  help  of  the  English  Dragoman,  made  a 
contract  for  camels  and  attendants  with  Besharah,  who 
had  formerly  accompanied  Laborde,  and  was  now 
grown  into  a  man  of  weight  in  his  tribe,  though  not  a 
regular  Sheikh.  After  a  long  talk  and  some  clamour, 
the  bargain  was  completed  for  three  dromedaries  and 
five  camels,  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  and  ninety 
Piastres  each,  from  Cairo  to  ’Akabah  j1  it  being  also 
agreed  that  Tuweileb  should  accompany  us  from  the 
Convent.  The  contract  was  immediately  written 
down  by  an  ordinary  scribe  upon  his  knee,  and  signed 
and  sealed  in  a  very  primitive  manner.  Most  of  the 
Arabs  of  the  towns  have  each  his  signet-ring,  either 
worn  on  the  finger  or  suspended  from  the  neck ;  the 
impression  of  which  serves  as  his  signature ;  but  the 
poor  Bedawy  of  the  desert  commonly  has  little  to  do 
with  such  matters,  and  has  therefore  no  seal.  Instead 


1)  The  Spanish  pillared  dollar, 
or  colonnato ,  was  then  regularly 
worth  in  Egypt  and  Syria  21  Pias¬ 
tres  ;  while  all  other  dollars,  Aus¬ 
trian,  Italian,  or  American,  were 
valued  at  20  Piastres.  In  Con¬ 
stantinople  the  Spanish  dollar  fluc¬ 
tuated  between  22  and  23  Piastres ; 


and  the  others  were  usually  cur¬ 
rent  at  about  21  Piastres. — The 
most  acceptable  coin  among  the 
Arabs  were  the  •small  gold  pieces 
of  nine  Piastres  ;  though  they  also 
took  the  larger  gold  coins  without 
difficulty. 


Sec.  II.] 


ROUTES. 


53 


of  it,  Besharah  presented  one  of  his  fingers  to  the  Dra¬ 
goman,  who  besmeared  the  tip  of  it  with  ink,  and  then 
gravely  impressed  it  upon  the  paper;  which  to  him 
was  then  doubtless  just  as  binding  as  if  sealed  with 
gold  or  jewels.  He  proved  a  very  faithful  and  obliging 
conductor,  and  fulfilled  his  contract  honourably.  He 
was  of  the  Aulad  Sa’id  or  Sa’idiyeh,  one  of  the  three 
divisions  of  the  Tawarah  Arabs  which  have  the  right 
of  taking  travellers  to  the  Convent,  and  are  reckoned 
as  its  Ghafirs  or  protectors.  Tuweileb,  he  said,  was 
his  brother ;  which  probably  meant  no  more,  than  that 
he  belonged  to  the  same  tribe. 

We  engaged  our  animals  quite  to  'Akabah,  in  order 
to  avoid  the  trouble  of  making  a  new  bargain  at  the 
Convent;  and  found  the  arrangement  to  be  a  conveni¬ 
ent  one. — The  only  difference  between  the  camel  and 
the  dromedary  is,  that  the  latter  is  trained  for  riding 
and  the  former  for  burdens.  The  distinction,  at  the 
most,  is  the  same  as  between  a  riding-horse  and  a  pack- 
horse  ;  but  among  the  Bedawin,  so  far  as  our  experi¬ 
ence  went,  it  seemed  to  amount  to  little  more,  than 
that  the  one  had  a  riding-saddle,  and  the  other  a  pack- 
saddle. 

There  are  three  principal  routes  from  Cairo  to  Suez, 
viz.  the  Derb  el-Haj,  Derb  el-’Ankebiyeh,  and  Derb 
el-Besatin.  The  first  leads  from  Cairo  to  the  Birket 
el-Haj,  a  small  lake  a  few  miles  northeastward  of  He¬ 
liopolis,  and  four  hours  from  Cairo,  where  the  pilgrims 
of  the  great  Mecca  caravan  or  Haj  assemble ;  thence 
its  course  is  to  the  south  of  east  to  ’Ajrud.  The  sec¬ 
ond,  the  usual  route  of  the  Tawarah  Arabs,  proceeds 
from  Cairo  directly  eastward  to  ’Ajrud,  and  falls  into 
the  Haj -route  a  day’s  journey  before  reaching  that 
place.  The  third  takes  a  southern  direction  from 
Cairo,  by  the  village  el-Besatin  and  around  the  end  of 
Jebel  el-Mukattem,  and  passing  south  of  this  moun- 


54 


FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ* 


[Sec.  II. 


tain  and  then  north  of  Jebel  Gharbun  and  Jebel  ’Ata- 
kah,  it  also  falls  into  the  Haj -route  several  hours  west 
of  ’Ajrud,  A  branch  of  the  same  road  passes  south 
of  both  these  latter  mountains  through  Wady  Tawa- 
rik  to  the  coast  some  distance  below  Suez. — A  fourth 
and  longer  road  north  of  the  Haj -route,  called  Derb 
el-Ban,  leaves  the  region  of  the  Nile  at  Abu  Za’bel, 
and  proceeding  towards  ’Ajrud,  falls  into  the  main 
trunk  before  reaching  that  fortress. 

It  had  been  our  wish  to  take  a  still  more  circuitous 
route  from  Cairo  to  Suez,  descending  the  eastern 
branch  or  canal  of  the  Nile  beyond  Belbeis  as  far  as 
to  the  province  Shurkiyeh,  and  thence  adong  the  valley 
of  the  ancient  canal  to  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez. 
Our  object  in  taking  this  route  would  have  been  to 
make  inquiries  and  observations  personally  in  relation 
to  the  land  of  Goshen  and  the  Exodus  of  the  Israel¬ 
ites.  But  the  season  was  already  too  far  advanced, 
and  our  time  was  limited  ;  so  that  we  were  compelled 
to  take  the  usual  and  shortest  route,  the  Derb  el-’An- 
kebiyeh.  This  was  travelled  by  Burckhardt  in  1816, 
and  has  not  been  described  since. 

Monday ,  March  12 th)  1838.  This  was  the  day 
fixed  for  our  departure  from  Cairo.  We  had  directed 
the  Arabs  to  come  in  good  season,  hoping  to  make  an 
early  start  and  reach  Suez  on  the  third  day.  Accord¬ 
ingly  at  six  o’clock  A.  M.  the  camels  were  already  at 
our  door,  filling  the  narrow  street  with  their  cries,  or 
rather  growls.  The  time  spent  in  packing  and  ar¬ 
ranging  so  many  articles,  and  in  procuring  others  that 
were  still  wanting,  was  very  considerable  ;  and  then 
it  was  found  that  another  camel  would  be  necessary. 
Our  servants  had  fixed  the  number  at  five  for  them¬ 
selves  and  the  luggage ;  but  they  had  reckoned  upon 
the  strong,  heavy  camels  of  Egypt,  which  carry  a  load 
of  600  Rati  of  twelve  ounces ;  while  the  camels  of  the 


Mar.  12.] 


DEPARTURE, 


55 


Bedawin  are  more  slender  and  usually  carry  only  two 
thirds  as  much.  In  consequence  of  all  these  delays, 
and  the  clamour  and  wrangling  of  the  Arabs  in  load¬ 
ing  the  camels,  it  was  one  o’clock  P.  M.  ere  we  bade 
adieu  to  our  excellent  friends,  and  set  our  faces  toward 
the  desert.  Passing  out  at  the  Shubra  gate  as  the 
nearest,  we  kept  along  near  the  wall  towards  the  Bab 
en-Niisr  or  Gate  of  Victory  on  the  east  side  of  Ihe 
city,  and  at  length  halted  near  Kaid  Beg,  not  far  from 
the  splendid  but  now  neglected  tombs  of  the  Memluk 
kings.  Here  the  camels  were  unloaded,  while  the  men 
went  to  the  city  for  provisions  and  provender.  At 
their  return  the  luggage  was  re-arranged,  and  the 
loads  of  the  camels  adjusted  for  the  whole  journey; 
as  this  could  not  be  done  so  well  in  the  narrow  streets 
of  the  city.  All  this  caused  a  delay  of  several  hours. 
The  Rev.  Mr.  Lieder,  who  had  accompanied  us  thus 
far,  here  bade  us  farewell ;  as  did  also  the  faithful 
Mustafa. 

Mounting  again  at  five  o’clock  we  proceeded  on 
our  way,  having  on  the  left  a  desert  plain  apparently 
once  tilled ;  and  on  the  right  the  Red  Mountain  and 
low  ridges  connected  with  Jebel  el-Mukattem.  In 
thirty-five  minutes  we  crossed  Wady  Liblabeh,  the 
broad,  shallow  bed  of  a  torrent,  and  entered  among 
low  hills  of  sand  and  gravel,  strewed  with  pebbles 
of  flint,  coarse  jasper,  and  chalcedony,  and  also  with  fre¬ 
quent  specimens  of  petrified  wood ;  the  latter  pro¬ 
bably  brought  hither  in  some  way  from  the  petrified 
forest  on  the  S.  S.  E.  of  the  Red  Mountain.1  In  one 
place  we  saw  the  petrified  trunk  of  a  tree,  eight  or  ten 
feet  long,  broken  in  several  pieces.  The  path  was  a 
mere  camel  track.  We  rode  on  until  7h  05'  P.  M.  and 
then  pitched  our  tent  for  the  night  in  Wady  en-Nehe- 


1)  See  Wilkinson’s  Thebes,  etc.  p.  319. 


56 


FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ. 


[Sec.  II. 


dein.  All  these  Wadys  of  the  desert  are  mere  water- 
beds,  or  slight  depressions  in  the  surface,  by  which  the 
water  flows  off  in  the  rainy  season  ;  while  at  all  other 
times  they  are  dry.  Yet  in  uneven  or  mountainous  re¬ 
gions,  the  same  name,  Wady,  is  applied  to  the  deepest 
ravines  and  broadest  vallies.  Here  the  Wadys  all  de¬ 
scend  N.  or  N.  W.  to  the  borders  of  the  Nile;  but  many 
of  them  probably  run  together  before  leaving  the 
desert. 

Our  Arabs,  as  they  walked  by  our  side,  were  full 
of  song  and  glee,  at  the  idea  of  being  once  more  free 
from  the  city  and  abroad  upou  their  native  wastes. 
To  me  also  it  was  a  new  and  exciting  feeling,  to  find 
ourselves  thus  alone  in  the  midst  of  the  desert,  in  the 
true  style  of  oriental  travel ;  carrying  with  xptf  our 
house,  our  provisions,  and  our  supply  of  water  for  many 
days ;  and  surrounded  by  camels  and  the  wild  £  sons 
of  the  desert/  in  a  region,  where  the  eye  could  find 
nought  to  rest  upon  but  desolation.  It  was  a  scene 
which  had  often  taken  possession  of  my  youthful  ima¬ 
gination  ;  but  which  I  had  not  dared  to  hope  would 
ever  be  realized.  Yet  all  was  now  present  in  reality; 
and  the  journey  which  had  so  long  been  the  object  of 
my  desires  and  aims  was  actually  begun. 

The  evening  had  already  closed  in,  and  the  moon 
was  shining  brightly,  when  we  halted  for  the  night. 
The  tent  was  soon  pitched ;  a  fire  kindled ;  and  as  it 
was  now  too  late  to  let  the  camels  browse,  they  were 
made  to  lie  down  around  the  tent,  and  were  fed  with 
a  small  quantity  of  beans  in  a  bag  drawn  over  the 
nose.  To  secure  them  for  the  night  they  are  usually 
fastened  one  to  another ;  or  a  halter  is  tied  round  one 
of  the  fore  legs  as  it  lies  folded  together,  in  order  to 
prevent  the  animal  from  rising.  It  was  too  late,  and 
the  situation  too  new,  to  think  of  much  comfort  in  this 
our  first  night  in  a  tent ;  and  therefore  arranging  our 


Mar.  13.]  WADY  ’ANKEBIYEH.  57 

beds,  each  as  he  best  could,  we  soon  laid  ourselves 
down  to  rest. 

Tuesday ,  March  13 tli.  Rising  early  and  taking 
a  slight  breakfast,  we  were  again  upon  our  way  at 

o’clock,  A.  M.  We  crossed  in  succession  Jerf  el- 
Mukawa,  Wady  Abu  Hailezon,  Wady  Ansury;  and 
at  12h  20'  reached  Wady  el-’Ankebiyeh  er-Reiyaneh, 
“  the  wet,’7  which  gives  name  to  the  road.1  The  way 
continued  much  the  same  as  yesterday.  The  ridges 
on  the  right,  extending  eastward  from  Jebel  el-Mukat- 
tem,  became  gradually  lower  and  broken  up  into 
small  hills,  like  those  upon  the  left.  Specimens  of 
petrified  wood  were  abundant ;  and  among  the  peb¬ 
bles  with  which  the  ground  was  strewed,  jaspers  and 
chalcedonies  were  still  common.  A  less  pleasing 
sight  was  the  frequent  carcasses  and  skeletons  of 
camels,  which  had  broken  down  and  died  by  the  way. 
The  day  was  clear,  with  a  cold  wind  from  the  N.  N.  E., 
the  thermometer  at  10  o’clock  standing  at  59°  F.  so 
that  we  were  glad  to  ride  all  day  in  our  cloaks. — In 
Wady  el-’Ankebiyeh,  on  the  left  of  the  road,  our  guides 
pointed  out  the  spot  where  (as  they  said)  an  unsuc¬ 
cessful  attempt  was  made  to  bore  for  water  a  few 
years  since.  Water,  they  said,  was  found  in  small 
quantities,  but  soon  disappeared.  Riippell  mentions 
this  or  a  similar  attempt,  as  having  been  made  in 
Wady  Gandali  on  the  southern  route,  at  a  point  three 
hours  southward  from  the  direct  road.2 

On  the  low  rise  of  ground  beyond  this  Wady,  lay 
the  petrified  trunk  of  a  tree  eighteen  feet  long,  broken 
in  several  pieces ;  but  the  specimens  of  petrified  wood 
extend  no  further.  At  1  o’clock  P.  M.  the  moun¬ 
tains  of  ’ Aweibid  and  ’Atakah  came  in  sight  at  a  great 

1)  The  relative  distances  of  all  ney  ;  see  at  the  end  of  Vol.  Ill, 
these  points  are  specified  very  ex-  First  Appendix,  C. 
actly  in  the  Itinerary  of  our  jour-  2)  Reise  in  Abyss.  I.  p.  101,  102. 

VOL.  I.  8 


58  FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ.  [Sec.  II. 

distance  before  us.  The  road  passes  between  them. 
We  now  descended  into  Wady  el-’Ankebiyeh  el- 
’Ateshaneh,  “  the  dry,”  and  soon  after  passed  a  mass 
of  black  stones  on  the  left,  looking  at  a  distance  like 
the  crater  of  an  extinct  volcano.  Wady  el-’Eshrah 
and  Wady  el-Furn  soon  followed;  and  then  we  en¬ 
tered  upon  an  immense  plain,  called  by  Burckhardt 
el-Mukrih,  but  which  our  Arabs  named  differently  in 
various  parts,  after  the  Wadys  that  run  across  it. 
This  plain  is  skirted  on  the  S.  by  a  low  ridge  running 
from  W.  to  E.  called  Mukrih  el-Weberah;  beyond 
which  is  seen  the  higher  mountain,  Jebel  Gharbun. 
At  4h  55'  we  encamped  near  some  hills  on  the  left,  in 
a  tract  called  el-Mawalih,  from  a  salt-hill  a  little  fur¬ 
ther  east,  whence  our  Arabs  brought  us  specimens  of 
very  good  salt.  From  this  point  ’Aweibid  bore  E.  3°  S. ; 
’Atakeh,  east  end  as  here  seen,  E.  15°  S. ;  Jebel  Ghar¬ 
bun  E.  29°  S. 

The  camels  were  now  turned  loose  for  a  time,  to 
browse  on  the  scanty  shrubs  and  herbs  which  they 
might  find ;  and  were  then  fed  as  before  with  a  few 
beans  or  a  little  barley.  This  was  their  whole  suste¬ 
nance  day  after  day ;  except  the  few  mouthfuls  which 
they  could  occasionally  snatch  upon  the  march.  The 
peculiar  gait  of  the  camel  causes  a  long  rocking  motion, 
which  to  the  rider  is  monotonous  and  tiresome.  They 
lie  down  for  the  rider  to  mount ;  but  it  requires  some 
little  practice  in  a  novice,  not  to  be  thrown  over  the 
animaFs  head,  when  he  awkwardly  rises  upon  his 
hinder  legs  first.  During  the  march,  it  is  not  usual  to 
make  them  lie  down ;  but  the  driver  stoops  and  pre¬ 
sents  his  shoulders  for  the  rider  to  mount  upon. — We 
now  had  time  to  arrange  matters  more  to  our  mind 
within  our  tent ;  so  that  on  encamping  hereafter,  it 
was  the  work  of  only  a  few  minutes  to  put  every  thing 
in  order.  It  usually  took  an  hour  or  two  to  prepare 


Mar.  14.] 


THE  DESERT. 


59 


dinner ;  during  which  interval  and  afterwards,  we  had 
time  to  make  observations,  and  write  out  in  full  the 
pencil-notes  of  the  day. 

The  desert  which  we  were  now  crossing,  is  not 
sandy;  but  its  surface,  for  the  most  part,  is  a  hard 
gravel,  often  strewed  with  pebbles.  Numerous  Wadys 
or  shallow  water-courses  intersect  its  surface,  all  flow¬ 
ing  towards  the  N.  and  N.  W.  In  all  these  Wadys 
there  are  usually  to  he  found  scattered  tufts  of  herbs, 
or  shrubs ;  on  which  the  camels  browse  as  they  pass 
along,  and  which  serve  likewise  as  their  pasturage 
when  turned  loose  at  night.  During  the  rainy  season 
also,  and  afterwards,  the  inhabitants  of  Belbeis  and 
the  Shurkiyeh,  as  probably  did  the  Israelites  of  old, 
still  drive  their  mingled  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  for 
pasturage  to  this  quarter  of  the  desert.  During  the 
present  year  there  had  been  no  rain ;  and  the  whole 
aspect  of  the  desert  and  its  Wadys  was  dry  and 
parched.  The  rains  usually  fall  here  in  December  and 
January;  and  extend  sometimes  into  March  or  even 
April.1 

We  found  to-day  upon  the  shrubs  an  insect,  either 
a  species  of  black  locust  or  much  resembling  them, 
which  our  Bedawin  called  Faras  el-Jundy ,  ‘  soldier’s 
horses.’2  They  said  these  insects  were  common  in 
Mount  Sinai,  of  a  green  colour ;  and  were  found  on 
date  trees,  but  did  them  no  injury. 

Wednesday ,  March  14 th.  ■  We  set  off  at  6h  20'  A.  M. 
and  travelled  most  of  the  day  over  the  great  plain  on 
which  we  had  entered  yesterday.  At  9  o’clock  we 
reached  Wady  Jendal,  at  a  point  about  three  miles  S. 
of  Dar  el-Humra,  the  first  station  on  the  Haj -route, 


1)  Brown  had  rain  for  4|  hours 
in  March  ;  see  his  Travels,  c.  XIV. 
p.  175.  In  the  middle  of  April, 
1831,  heavy  rain  fell  for  two  days 


in  and  around  Suez ;  Ruppell’s 
Reise  in  Abyssinien,  I.  p.  104. 

2)  Compare  the  language  in 
Rev.  ix.  7. 


60 


FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ. 


[Sec.  IT. 


marked  by  a  single  acacia-tree  standing  alone  in  this 
wide  waste.  Further  on  we  saw  on  that  route,  tlie  tomb 
of  a  Sheikh,  who  had  died  on  his  pilgrimage, — a  mere 
pyramid  of  stones.  Crossing  Wady  Athileh,  we  were 
at  10h  35'  directly  S.  of  Bir  el-Butr,  indicated  by  red¬ 
dish  mounds  of  sand  thrown  up  in  digging  a  well. 
According  to  Burckhardt  this  well  was  begun  about 
seventy  years  ago  by  command  of  Aly  Bey ;  but  on 
reaching  the  depth  of  eighty  feet  without  finding  wa¬ 
ter,  it  was  abandoned.1  At  12h  55'  we  came  to  Wady 
Hufeiry,  a  broad,  shallow  depression,  which  as  our 
guides  said  runs  down  to  Belbeis.  It  is  the  last  Wady 
we  passed,  running  in  that  direction;  and  probably 
receives  on  the  way  many  of  those  we  had  already 
crossed.  In  it,  our  road  and  that  of  the  Haj  come  to¬ 
gether  ;  and  the  plain  is  covered  with  parallel  tracks. 
The  camels  of  loaded  caravans  are  usually  fastened 
one  behind  another  in  single  file,  and  thus  make  one 
deep  track  or  footpath;  but  in  the  Haj  and  in  a  small 
party  like  ours,  they  are  left  to  choose  their  own  way, 
and  seldom  follow  each  other  in  a  line ;  so  that  many 
parallel  tracks  are  thus  formed. — In  all  the  Wadys 
yesterday  and  to-day  we  found  many  tufts  of  the  strong- 
scented  herb  ’Abeithiran,  apparently  the  Santolina 
fragrantissima  of  Forskal,2  somewhat  resembling 
wormwood  both  in  appearance  and  smell.  The  camels 
cropped  it  with  avidity. 

We  were  now  approaching  Jebel  ’Aweibid,  and 
began  to  ascend  the  gentle  slope  which  extends  from 
it  towards  the  W.  and  S.  W.  Here  on  the  left  are 
many  small  heaps  of  stones  and  marks  of  graves,  which 
we  reached  at  2h  10'.  They  are  called  Rejum  esh- 

1)  M.  Le  P&re  of  the  French  2)  Flora  Egypt iaco-Arabica,  p. 

Expedition  says  these  wells  were  147.  Compare  the  same  work, 
begun  in  A.  D.  1676.  Descr.  de  p.  LXXIV. 
l’Egypte,  Et.  Mod.  T.  I.  p.  33. 


Mar.  14.] 


THE  MIRAGE. 


61 


Shawaghiriyeh,  and  mark  the  spot  where  a  robbery 
was  committed  not  many  years  ago  on  a  caravan  of 
Arabs  of  that  name,  who  were  carrying  coffee  from 
Suez  to  Cairo,  Most  of  them  were  murdered.  The 
Shawaghiriyeh  are  a  tribe  of  Bedawin  who  have  taken 
up  their  abode  at  Kaid  Beg,  and  own  quite  a  number 
of  camels.  This  affair  is  not  improbably  the  same  re¬ 
ferred  to  by  Burckhardt  as  having  happened  in  1815.1 
At  3h  20'  we  came  to  the  junction  of  the  southern  or 
Besatin  route.  Near  the  same  point  is  the  water-shed 
between  the  Nile  and  the  Gulf  of  Suez.  The  road 
here  passes  along  a  broad  valley  between  Jebel  ’Awei- 
bid  on  the  north,  and  the  western  ridges  of  Jebel  JAta- 
kah  on  the  south.  W e  encamped  five  minutes  after  four 
o’clock  in  Wady  Seil  Abu  Zeid,  which  runs  towards 
the  Red  Sea.  Here  the  camels  found  more  pasture. 
The  day  had  been  cold  and  clear,  and  was  followed 
by  a  fine  star-light  evening.  The  North-Star  stood  in 
brightness  over  the  E.  end  of  ’Aweibid ;  from  which  a 
range  of  lower  hills  extends  eastward  towards  Ajrud. 

During  these  two  days  we  had  seen  several  in¬ 
stances  of  the  Mirage ,  (Arabic  Serab,)  presenting  all 
around  us  the  appearance  of  lakes  of  water,  with 
islands  and  shores  distinctly  marked.  One  instance 
especially  to-day  among  the  hills  on  our  right,  was  so 
strikingly  natural,  that  we  could  scarcely  resist  giving 
credit  to  the  impression  thus  made  upon  the  senses. 

With  our  Arabs  we  had  come  to  be  on  a  very  good 
footing.  Besharah,  our  chief  guide,  proved  to  be  active, 
good-natured,  and  obliging;  he  had  brilliant  white 
teeth,  and  spoke  with  great  rapidity  and  an  animation 
almost  like  the  excitement  of  anger.  He  had  made 
the  contract  for  all  our  camels ;  though  he  himself 
was  the  owner  of  but  one.  At  setting  off,  we  had  be¬ 
sides  him  six  men  and  two  boys ;  but  one  or  two  of 

1)  Travels  in  Syria  and  the  Holy  Land,  p.  462. 


62 


FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ. 


[Sec.  II. 


the  former  disappeared  on  the  way.  Most  of  them 
were  owners  each  of  one  or  two  camels.  One  of  the 
oldest,  Ahmed,  had  been  quite  a  traveller  in  his  day ; 
and  liked  much  to  relate  his  adventures  and  tell  sto¬ 
ries  of  the  olden  time.  He  was  better  acquainted 
with  the  country  off  our  route  than  Besharah.  It  was 
something  new  to  them  to  find  a  Frank  traveller 
speaking  their  own  language  fluently ;  and  my  com¬ 
panion  took  care  to  cultivate  this  favourable  impres¬ 
sion  by  often  dismounting,  and  walking  and  talking 
with  them.  At  night  they  always  gathered  around  a 
fire  made  of  shrubs  or  dry  earners  dung  ;  but  slept  on 
the  ground  among  their  camels,  without  any  other 
covering  than  they  often  wore  by  day ;  the  thermom¬ 
eter  usually  falling  during  the  night  on  an  average 
from  60°  to  45°  F.  Our  servants  also  slept  in  the 
open  air  ;  but  they  were  provided  with  blankets. 

Thursday ,  March  15th.  As  we  were  preparing  to 
set  off,  a  small  caravan  of  camels  passed  by  on  their 
way  to  Cairo ;  and  not  far  from  our  tent,  we  saw 
tracks  of  gazelles  upon  the  sand.  These  were  almost 
the  only  signs  of  life  we  had  yet  met  with  in  the  de¬ 
sert.  Starting  at  6h  05'  A.  M.  we  followed  down  for 
a  time  the  Wady  Seil  Abu  Zeid,  and  soon  passed  the 
bed  of  a  torrent  coming  down  from  the  right,  in  which 
were  several  stunted  acacia  trees,  the  first  we  had 
seen  upon  our  route.  The  carcass  of  a  dead  horse  lay 
by  the  way-side ;  and  during  the  day  we  saw  two 
others,  said  to  have  belonged  to  Mugharibeh  pilgrims 
in  the  late  caravan  of  the  Haj,  which  had  left  Cairo 
about  the  20th  of  January.  The  Wady  now  bends 
more  to  the  N.  E.  under  the  range  of  low  sand-hills 
which  extends  E.  from  Jebel  ’Aweibid ;  while  the 
path  continues  straight  onwards  over  low  hills,  con¬ 
nected  with  the  foot  of  Jebel  ’Atakah  on  the  south. 
The  whole  region,  mountains  and  hills,  is  of  limestone, 


Mar.  15.] 


WADY  EMSHASH. 


63 


and  is  entirely  destitute  of  vegetation.  Gradually  we 
came  in  sight  of  another  and  still  higher  summit  of 
Jebel  ’Atakah  in  the  S.  E.,  a  collection  of  dark  cliffs 
of  limestone,  naked  of  vegetation,  and  thickly  strowed 
with  pebbles  of  flint.  Passing  a  small  heap  of  stones, 
we  found  it  had  a  name,  although  it  did  not  mark  a 
grave.  Indeed  the  Bedawin  give  a  name  to  every 
object  and  almost  every  spot  in  the  desert,  at  least 
upon  their  more  frequented  routes ;  in  order  that  in 
travelling  they  may  he  able  to  designate  the  scene  of 
any  event,  or  the  place  where  they  were  at  a  given 
time.  At  8  o’clock  we  crossed  Wady  Emshash,  a 
broad  torrent-bed  coming  down  from  the  right,  and 
sweeping  round  eastward  to  join  Wady  Abu  Zeid; 
after  which  it  gives  name  to  the  whole.  It  then  passes 
down  on  the  N.  side  of  ’Ajrud  to  the  sea ;  having  in 
it  a  well  of  tolerable  water,  Bir  Emshash,  about  two 
miles  west  of  the  fortress.1 

Soon  afterwards  we  saw  three  Arabs  sitting  under 
a  very  old  acacia,  while  their  dromedaries  were  brows¬ 
ing  near  them.  Our  guides  supposed  them  to  be  the 
Pasha’s  Post.  Muhammed  ’Aly  has  established  at 
least  three  lines  of  dromedary  posts,  by  which  letters 
and  despatches  are  transmitted  to  and  from  the  gov¬ 
ernment,  as  occasion  may  require ;  and  of  which  the 
foreign  consuls  are  also  permitted  to  avail  themselves. 
Between  Cairo  and  Alexandria  there  is  a  regular 
daily  line.  Between  Cairo  and  Damascus,  and  Cairo 
and  Mecca,  the  communication  is  frequent,  but  not 
regular. 

Our  course  hitherto  all  the  way  from  Cairo,  had 
been  nearly  due  East ;  but  we  now,  at  9i  o’clock,  turned 
E.  S.  E.  around  a  small  hill  called  el-Muntiila’.  Here 
the  road  which  leaves  the  Nile  at  Abu  Za’bel,  comes 


1)  Burckhardt’s  Travels  in  Syria,  etc.  p.  4(34. 


64 


FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ. 


[Sec.  IL 


in  from  the  left.  This  hill  was  formerly  a  favourite 
place  of  look-out  for  Arab  robbers;  and  the  top  is 
covered  with  heaps  of  stones  commemorating  the  rob¬ 
beries  and  murders  which  have  been  committed  in  the 
vicinity.  Even  so  late  as  1816,  Burckhardt  was  com¬ 
pelled  to  wait  three  days  in  the  fortress  of  ’Ajrud,  to 
avoid  being  plundered  by  a  party  of 7  Amran,  who  were 
lying  in  wait  not  far  off.1  But  now  the  strong  arm  of 
the  Pasha  has  swept  off  all  such  intruders,  and  the 
whole  way  is  perfectly  safe.  The  road  here  begins  to 
descend  rapidly  through  a  rough,  stony,  narrow  pass, 
also  called  el-Muntula’,2  which  was  formerly  con¬ 
sidered  very  dangerous ;  as  is  indicated  by  the  name 
el-Mukhafeh  (fear)  which  it  likewise  bears.  The  pass 
gradually  widens,  and  we  had  a  glimpse  of  ’Ajrud. 
We  thought  too  that  the  Red  Sea  lay  in  sight  before 
us,  but  it  turned  out  to  be  only  the  Mirage.  At  the 
foot  of  the  pass  we  met  several  camels  and  a  donkey ; 
and  further  on,  a  man  riding  on  a  donkey,  with  a  camel 
for  his  luggage  and  two  young  gazelles  in  its  panniers ; 
their  small  heads  and  languishing  eyes  being  alone 
visible.  Not  long  after  we  met  also  a  large  caravan 
of  Egyptian  camels  in  single  file,  loaded  with  coffee 
and  merchandise  for  Cairo.  Their  stout,  heavy  frames 
contrasted  strongly  with  the  thin  and  meager  appear¬ 
ance  of  our  poor  animals.  We  now  dismounted  from 
our  camels  and  ascended  a  hill  on  the  right,  from  which 
we  had  a  wide  prospect  over  the  plain  into  which  the 
valley  opens,  the  fortress  of  ’Ajrud  on  the  left,  and 
Suez  on  the  right  in  the  S.  E.  with  the  Red  Sea  be¬ 
yond.  The  atmosphere  to-day  seemed  specially  adapted 

1)  Travels  in  Syria  and  the  I.  p.  131.  This  has  given  occasion 

Holy  Land,  p.  627.  to  the  hardly  less  strange  sugges- 

2)  Pococke  writes  “  Haramin-  tion  of  Rennell,  that  this  is  “just 
teleh,”  and  strangely  enough  sug-  where  we  should  look  for  Heroum 
gests  that  the  ancient  canal  might  or  Heroopolis  Geogr.  Syst.  of 
pass  this  way ;  Deecr.  of  the  East,  Herodot.  II.  p.  64. 


Mar.  15.] 


’AJRUD. 


65 


to  produce  the  Mirage;  for  as  we  looked  towards 
Suez  it  seemed  wholly  surrounded  by  water  ;  while 
lakes  and  ponds  apparently  stretched  from  the  sea  far 
up  towards  the  north  upon  the  desert  plain.  This  plain, 
which  wre  now  overlooked,  is  not  far  from  ten  miles 
square ;  extending  with  a  gentle  slope  from  ’Ajrud  to 
the  sea  west  of  Suez,  and  from  the  hills  at  the  base  of 
'  Atakah  to  the  arm  of  the  sea  N.  of  Suez.  But  it  re¬ 
tains  the  same  general  character  as  the  desert  we  had 
passed.  Hills  and  mountains  and  the  long  narrow 
strip  of  salt  wTater  were  indeed  around  and  before  us  ; 
but  not  a  tree,  nor  scarcely  a  shrub,  and  not  one  green 
thing,  w7as  to  be  seen  in  the  whole  circle  of  vision. 

’Ajrud  is  the  next  station  on  the  Haj -route  after 
Dar  el-Humra.  It  is  a  square  fortress  with  a  well 
of  bitter  water  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  deep,  built 
for  the  accommodation  and  protection  of  the  pilgrims 
on  their  wray  to  and  from  Mecca.1  Near  by  it  is  a 
mosk  with  a  saint’s  tomb,  also  enclosed  with  walls. 
The  fortress  stands  on  the  S.  side  of  Wady  Emshash, 
along  which  on  the  north  a  range  of  lowT  hills  stretches 
from  W.  to  E.  The  Haj-route  passes  by  the  castle  on 
the  south,  and  continues  its  course  directly  towards 
the  mountains  which  lie  E.  of  the  line  of  the  Gulf,  and 
constitute  the  ascent  to  the  high  plain  of  the  eastern 
desert.  Two  summits  were  pointed  out  to  us  in  this 
range  of  mountains,  between  which  the  road  passes 
on  towards  ’Akabah ;  the  northern  one  called  Mukh- 
sheib,  and  the  southern  er-Rahah,  as  belonging  to  the 
more  southern  chain  of  that  name. 

Before  reaching  ’Ajrud  our  road  separated  from 
that  of  the  Haj,  turning  more  S.  E.,  and  we  passed  the 

1)  Burckhardt’s  Travels  in  Sy-  Jladgi  Routh ;  Reise  in  Abyssi- 
ria,  etc.  p.  628.  Edrisi  mentions  nien,  I.  p.  135.  The  Arabic  ortlio- 
’Ajrud  about  the  middle  of  the  graphy  has  been  fixed  at  least 
twelfth  century.  Ruppell  singu-  ever  since  the  days  of  Edrisi. 
larly  enough  writes  the  name 

Vol.  I.  9 


66 


FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ. 


[Sec.  IL 


fortress  at  IP  40',  leaving  it  about  twenty  minutes 
distant  on  our  left.  From  ’Ajrud  to  Suez  is  reckoned 
four  hours.  Crossing  the  plain,  which  is  everywhere 
intersected  by  water-courses,  we  came  at  2h  50'  to  Bir 
Suweis,  the  Well  of  Suez,  one  hour  from  the  town. 
Here  are  two  deep  wells,  surrounded  by  a  square  mas¬ 
sive  building  of  stone  with  towers  at  the  corners, 
erected  in  the  seventeenth  century,  as  appears  from 
an  inscription.  The  water  is  brackish,  and  is  carried 
to  Suez  on  asses  and  camels  only  for  cooking  and 
washing,  being  too  salt  to  be  drank.  Even  where  it 
flows  upon  the  ground  round  about  the  building,  it 
produces  no  vegetation,  causing  only  a  saline  efflor¬ 
escence.  In  Niebuhrs  time  the  water  was  drawn  up 
by  hand;  but  is  now  raised  by  wheels  turned  by  oxen, 
and  runs  into  a  large  stone  trough  outside,  where  ani¬ 
mals  drink  and  water-skins  are  filled.1  Here  our 
camels  were  watered  for  the  first  time.  They  had 
been  fed  in  Cairo  with  green  clover;  and  had  not 
drank,  it  was  said,  for  twelve  days  before  our  depar¬ 
ture.  Yet  they  now  drank  little,  and  some  of  them 
none  at  all. 

We  reached  Suez  (Arabic  Suweis)  at  3h  50',  and 
pitched  our  tent  outside  of  the  walls  on  the  north  of 
the  town,  near  the  shore  ;  having  first  reconnoitered 
the  interior  and  found  no  spot  so  clean  and  convenient 
among  all  its  open  places ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  an¬ 
noyance  and  risk  to  which  we  should  have  been  ex¬ 
posed  from  idlers. — From  the  gate  of  Cairo  to  Suez 
we  reckoned  32i  hours  of  march,  equivalent  to  64J 
geogr.  miles,  or  somewhat  less  than  75  statute  miles.2 
Our  whole  time,  including  the  stops  at  night,  was  71i 

1)  Reisebeschr.I.  p.217.  These  between  ’Ajrud  and  Kolzum  ;  p. 
would  seem  to  be  the  wells  men-  329,  ed.  Jaubert. 
tioned  by  Edrisi  in  the  twelfth  2)  See  Note  VII,  at  the  end  of 
century  under  the  name  el-’Ajuz,  the  volume. 


Mar.  15.] 


SUEZ. 


67 


hours,  or  nearly  three  whole  days.  The  India  mails 
had  just  before  been  carried  across  in  twenty-two 
hours ;  and  the  Pasha  is  said  to  have  once  crossed  on 
horseback  in  thirteen  hours,  by  having  relays  of  horses 
stationed  on  the  way.1 

We  paid  our  respects  to  the  English  Vice-Consul, 
Mr.  Fitch,  to  whom  we  had  letters  ;  and  of  whose 
kindness  we  retain  a  grateful  remembrance.2  He  had 
been  only  five  weeks  in  the  place  ;  and  his  chief  busi¬ 
ness  was  the  agency  for  the  Bombay  steamers,  which 
were  to  arrive  and  depart  every  month.  At  his  invi¬ 
tation  we  attended  his  Soiree ;  where  however  we 
met  only  three  other  persons,  and  these  in  his  employ. 
They  were  three  brothers  Manueli,  natives  of  the 
place  and  members  of  the  Greek  church.  One  of 
them,  Nicola,  had  been  for  many  years  English  Agent 
at  Suez,  until  recently  superseded  by  the  Vice-Consul ; 
under  whom  he  now  acted  as  dragoman  and  fac-totum. 
We  found  him  to  be  a  very  intelligent  and  well-in¬ 
formed  man ;  and  obtained  from  him  satisfactory  in¬ 
formation  on  many  points  of  inquiry  connected  with 
this  region.  At  the  suggestion  of  the  Vice-Consul,  he 
procured  for  us  a  letter  from  the  Governor  of  Suez  to 
the  Governor  of  ‘Akabah ;  which  however  we  found 
to  be  of  little  importance.3 

Suez  is  situated  on  the  angle  of  land  between  the 
broad  head  of  the  Gulf,  the  shore  of  which  here  runs 
nearly  from  E.  to  W.,  and  the  narrow  arm  which  runs 
up  northward  from  the  eastern  corner  of  the  Gulf.  It 
is  poorly  walled  on  three  sides;  being  open  to  the 


1)  In  1839  three  stations  were 
established  on  the  road  between 
Cairo  and  Suez,  for  keeping  relays 
of  animals,  and  to  serve  also  as  inns 
for  travellers  passing  between  Eu¬ 
rope  and  India.  See  Kinnear’s 
Cairo,  etc.  p.  61. 


2)  This  gentleman  died  a  year 
afterwards  at  Alexandria. 

3)  An  English  hotel  has  since 
been  established  at  Suez  for  the 
benefit  of  passengers  in  the  steam- 
vessels. 


68 


SUEZ. 


[Sec.  II. 


water  on  the  E.,  or  rather  N.  E.,  where  is  the  harbour 
and  a  good  quay.  Here  were  lying  quite  a  number 
of  the  Red  Sea  craft,  vessels  of  considerable  size,  with 
neat  white  bottoms,  but  with  only  one  mast  and  sail, 
and  no  deck  except  over  the  cabin.  The  timber  and 
materials  for  all  vessels  built  here,  have  usually  been 
brought  from  the  Nile  on  camels.1  Within  the  walls 
are  many  open  places,  and  several  Khans  built  around 
large  courts.  In  the  large  open  space  connected  with 
the  building  occupied  by  the  Consulate,  a  beautiful 
tame  gazelle  was  running  about,  belonging  to  the 
Governor,  whose  house  was  adjacent  to  the  same 
court.  The  houses  in  general  are  poorly  built.  There 
is  a  bazar,  or  street  of  shops,  which  we  found  tolera¬ 
bly  furnished  with  provisions  and  stuffs,  mostly  from 
Cairo.  The  inhabitants  consist  of  about  twelve  hun¬ 
dred  Muhammedans  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  Chris¬ 
tians  of  the  Greek  church.  The  geographical  position 
of  Suez  is  in  Lat.  29°  57  30"  N.  and  Long.  30°  IV  09" 
E.  from  Paris,  or  32°  31/  33"  E.  from  Greenwich.2 

The  transit  of  the  productions  and  merchandise  of 
the  East  from  the  Red  Sea  to  the  Nile,  has  always 
made  this  an  important  point,  and  caused  the  exist¬ 
ence  of  a  city  in  the  vicinity ;  though  Suez  itself,  as  a 
town,  is  of  modern  origin,3  and  has  been  greatly  aided 
by  the  concourse  of  pilgrims  who  annually  embark 
here  for  Mecca.  The  present  arrangements  for  ma¬ 
king  it  the  point  of  communication  between  Europe 
and  India  by  means  of  steam -navigation  on  the  Red 
Sea,  may  probably  give  to  it  an  impulse,  and  some¬ 
what  enlarge  its  population ;  but  it  can  never  well 
become  any  thing  more  than  a  mere  place  of  passage, 

1)  Niebuhr  Reisebeschr.  I.  p.  both  for  the  latitude  and  longitude. 

218.  Compare  Wilken’s  Gesch.  See  his  Memoir  zu  seiner  Karte 
der  Kreuzziige,  III.  ii.  p.  223.  von  Syrien,  pp.  28,  29. 

2)  So  Berghaus,  as  a  mean  de-  3)  See  Note  VIII,  at  the  end  of 

duced  from  several  observations,  the  volume. 


Mar.  15.] 


ENVIRONS. 


69 


which  both  the  traveller  and  the  inhabitant  will  has¬ 
ten  to  leave  as  soon  as  possible.  The  aspect  both 
within  and  without  is  too  desolate  and  dreary.  Not 
a  garden,  not  a  tree,  not  a  trace  of  verdure,  not  a  drop 
of  fresh  water ;  all  the  water  with  which  Suez  is  sup¬ 
plied  for  personal  use,  being  brought  from  the  fountain 
Naba’,  three  hours  distant  across  the  Gulf,  and  so 
brackish  as  to  he  scarcely  drinkable. 

About  ten  minutes  or  one  third  of  a  mile  north  of 
the  town,  is  a  lofty  mound  of  rubbish,  in  which  a  few 
substructions  are  visible,  and  frequent  fragments  of 
pottery.  It  is  called  Tell  Kolzum.  This  is  doubtless 
the  site  of  the  former  city  Kolzum,  so  often  mentioned 
by  Arabian  writers  as  the  port  where  fleets  were 
built  on  the  Red  Sea.  It  was  the  successor  of  the 
.  Greek  Klysma;  Kolzum  being  merely  the  Arabic 
form  of  the  same  name.1  The  earlier  city  of  Arsinoe 
or  Cleopatris  is  supposed  to  have  stood  somewhere  in 
the  vicinity ;  and  may  perhaps  have  occupied  the  same 
spot.2 

The  Gulf  of  Suez,  as  seen  from  the  adjacent  hills, 
presents  the  appearance  of  a  long  strip  of  water, 
setting  far  up  like  a  large  river  through  a  desert  val¬ 
ley  of  twenty  or  thirty  miles  in  width ;  the  shores 
skirted  sometimes  by  arid  plains,  and  sometimes  in¬ 
terrupted  by  naked  mountains  and  promontories  on 
either  side.  The  whole  configuration  reminded  me 
strongly  of  the  valley  of  the  Nile  on  a  larger  scale ; 


1)  Klysma  (ICh'io/ucc)  is  men¬ 
tioned  in  this  place  by  Cosmas  In- 
dicopleustes  so  late  as  about  A.  D. 
530.  See  Montfaucon’s  Collectio 
nova  Patrum,  T.  II.  p.  194.  In  the 
Council  of  Constantinople,  A.  D. 
553,  the  name  of  Stephanus,  bishop 
of  Clysma,  appears  among  the 
signers  ;  Harduin  Acta  Concilior. 
III.  p.  52.  For  Kolzum  see  Edrisi 
Geogr.  I.  p.  331,  333,  ed.  Jaubert. 


Abulfeda  in  Biisching’s  Magazin, 
IV.  p.  196.  Compare  also  Bo- 
chart’s  Phaleg,  II.  c.  18. 

2)  The  followingbearings  were 
taken  from  Tell  Kolzum:  Jebel 
Mukhsheib  N.  65°  E.  Taset  Sudr 
S.  41°  E.  Jebel  ’Atkkah,  north 
peak,  N.  72°  W.  Extreme  point  of 
Ras  ’At&kah,  S.  26”  W.  End  of 
the  shoal  running  out  from  the 
eastern  shore,  S.  1°  W. 


70 


SUEZ. 


[Sec.  II. 


except  that  there  the  noble  river  hears  fertility  on  its 
bosom,  and  scatters  it  abroad  in  lavish  profusion ; 
while  here  desolation  reigns  throughout.  The  Gulf 
becomes  narrower  towards  Suez,  and  terminates  in  a 
line  of  coast  extending  from  the  town  westward  nearly 
to  Jebel  ’Atakah,  a  distance  of  six  or  eight  miles. 
Further  south,  this  mountain  runs  quite  down  to  the 
sea,  forming  the  promontory  called  Ras  ’Atakali ;  be¬ 
yond  which  opens  the  broad  mouth  or  plain  of  Wady 
Tawarik;  and  then  follows  Jebel  Deraj  or  Kulalah, 
and  the  long  chain  of  African  mountains.  On  the 
east  side  of  the  Gulf,  the  parallel  ridge  of  mountains, 
called  er-Rahah,  is  here  twelve  or  fifteen  miles  distant 
from  the  coast.  Around  the  head  of  the  Gulf,  exten¬ 
sive  shoals  stretch  out  southward  far  into  the  sea,  and 
are  left  bare  at  low  water  ;  except  a  narrow  winding 
channel  like  a  small  river,  by  which  light  vessels 
come  quite  up  to  the  town.  We  saw  these  shoals 
twice  while  the  tide  was  out.  They  extend  a  mile 
and  a  half  or  two  miles  below  Suez ;  are  quite  level 
and  hard,  thinly  covered  with  sea-weed;  and  are 
composed  apparently  of  sand  mingled  perhaps  with 
coral.  We  saw  persons  walking  upon  them  quite 
near  the  southern  extremity.  Larger  vessels  and  the 
steamers  lie  off  in  the  road  below  these  shoals,  more 
than  two  miles  distant  from  the  town. 

The  desert  plain  back  of  Suez,  which  has  been 
'  mentioned  above  as  extending  west  as  far  as  to 
’Atakali  and  north  to  ’Ajrud,  is  composed  for  the  most 
part  of  hard  gravel ;  and  is  apparently  of  no  recent 
formation,  but  as  old  as  the  adjacent  hills  and  moun¬ 
tains.  Just  at  Suez  a  narrow  arm  runs  up  northwards 
for  a  considerable  distance  from  the  N.  E.  corner  of 
the  Gulf;  in  which,  when  we  saw  it,  the  water  ex¬ 
tended  up  about  two  miles  ;  but  the  depression  or  bed 
of  it  continues  beyond  the  mounds  of  the  ancient 


Mar.  15.] 


ENVIRONS. 


71 


canal,  and  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  Opposite 
Suez  this  arm  is  about  eleven  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
wide  according  to  Niebuhr ;*  but  higher  up  and  op¬ 
posite  Tell  Kolzum,  it  is  broader,  and  has  several  low 
islands  or  sand-banks,  which  are  mostly  covered  at 
high  water.  It  is  here  and  around  the  northern  part 
of  this  arm,  that  there  are  evident  traces  of  a  gradual 
filling  up  of  this  part  of  the  Red  Sea.  I  am  not  aware 
of  any  circumstances  which  go  to  show  that  the  level 
of  the  sea  itself  has  been  changed ;  but  the  change,  if 
any,  has  been  brought  about  solely  by  the  drifting  in 
of  sand  from  the  northern  part  of  the  great  desert 
plain,  which  here  extends  to  the  eastern  mountains. 
This  plain  is  ten  miles  or  more  wide.  Burckhardt 
crossed  it  in  1812  in  six  hours  from  the  wells  of 
Mab’fik  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  to  the  mounds  of 
the  canal ;  and  says  it  was  full  of  u  moving  sands 
which  covered  the  plain  as  far  as  he  could  discern, 
and  in  some  places  had  collected  into  hills  thirty  or 
forty  feet  in  height.  '2  Such  it  was  as  we  also  saw  it 
on  our  left  in  passing  around  the  head  of  the  bay ;  and 
this  sand,  driven  by  the  strong  N.  E.  wind  which 
often  prevails,  is  continually  carried  towards  and  into 
the  water,  and  the  process  of  filling  up  is  still  going 
on.  There  can  be  little  room  for  doubt,  that  the 
islands  above  Suez  were  formed  in  this  manner;-  since 
in  former  days  vessels  probably  lay  at  Kolzum,  which 
they  now  cannot  reach.  Around  the  head  of  the  in¬ 
let,  there  are  also  obvious  indications,  that  the  water 
once  extended  much  further  north,  and  probably 
spread  itself  out  over  a  wide  tract  towards  the  north¬ 
east.  The  ground  bears  every  mark  of  being  still  occa¬ 
sionally  overflowed ;  and  our  Arabs  said  it  was  often 
covered  by  the  sea,  especially  in  winter,  when  the 


1)  Reisebesclir.  I.  p.  253. 


2)  Travels  in  Syria,  etc.  p.  454. 


72 


SUEZ. 


[Sec.  1L 


south  winds  prevail.  The  soil  of  this  part  is  a  fine 
sand  like  that  of  the  adjacent  desert,  only  rendered 
more  solid  by  the  action  of  the  waves.  In  some  parts 
it  was  covered  with  a  saline  crust,  and  occasionally 
exhibited  strips  white  with  shells.  Whether  the 
shoals  south  of  Suez  were  formed  in  the  same  man¬ 
ner,  it  is  more  difficult  to  decide ;  though  they  would 
seem  now  to  have  a  firmer  consistence. 

We  were  told  that  the  tide  rises  at  Suez  and  upon 
these  shoals  about  seven  English  feet.  According  to 
the  French  measurements,  the  average  rise  of  the 
tides  in  their  time  was  5i  Paris  feet,  though  it  some¬ 
times  exceeded  6  feet.  Niebuhr  found  it  to  he  only 

feet.1  It  must  obviously  vary  much  with  the  direc¬ 
tion  of  the  wind ;  since  a  strong  wind  from  the  north¬ 
ern  quarter  would  have  the  effect  to  drive  the  tide  out 
and  prevent  its  return ;  while  a  south  wind  would 
produce  the  contrary  results.  Opposite  Suez  there  is 
a  ferry ;  and  higher  up,  at  Tell  Kolzum,  a  ford,  which 
is  sometimes  used  at  low  water,  leading  over  two  of  the 
sandy  islands.  Niebuhr’s  guides  passed  this  ford  on 
foot,  and  the  water  came  scarcely  up  to  their  knees.2 
An  island  just  below  the  ford  is  called  Jezirat  el- 
Yehudiyeh,  “  Jews’  Island;”  but,  although  we  in¬ 
quired  particularly,  we  could  not  learn  that  the  ford 
itself  is  called  Derb  el-Yehud  or  Jews’  Road,  as  re¬ 
ported  by  Ehrenberg.3  There  is  also  another  ford 
south  of  Suez,  near  the  edge  of  the  shoals,  where  a 
long  narrow7  sand-bank  extends  out  from  the  eastern 
shore.  Here  at  low  tides  the  Arabs  sometimes  wrade 
across  the  channel ;  the  water  being  then  about  five 
feet  deep,  or,  as  they  said,  coming  up  to  the  chin. 

The  road  which  we  travelled  from  Cairo  to  Suez 

1)  Le  Pere  in  Descr.  de  2)  Reisebeschr.  I.  p.  252. 

l’Egypte,  Et.  Mod.  I.  p.  90.  Nie-  3)  See  his  Map  in  Naturgesch. 

buhr  Beschr.  von  Arab.  p.  421,  seq.  Reisen,  Abth.  I.  Berlin,  1828. 


Mar.  15.] 


ENVIRONS. 


73 


is  the  shortest  and  most  direct  of  all  those  between 
the  two  points ;  and  like  all  the  rest  (except  the 
southern  one)  is  wholly  destitute  of  water  as  far  as  to 
’Ajrud.  On  the  Besatin  route  west  of  Jebel  Gharbun 
are  the  shallow  pits  of  Gandali  (or  Gandelhy),  in 
which  a  small  quantity  of  tolerable  water  collects. 
On  the  more  southern  and  longer  branch  of  this  route, 
through  Wady  Tawarik,  is  the  well  of  ’Qdheib  (sweet 
water)  near  the  shore  south  of  Has  ’Atakah,  about 
eight  hours  from  Suez.  Here  is  also  a  small  mound 
of  rubbish  with  fragments  of  pottery,  indicating  a 
former  site.1  But  the  shortest  route  of  all  between 
Suez  and  the  borders  of  the  Nile,  lies  to  the  northward 
of  all  these  roads,  and  passes  nearer  to  the  valley  of 
the  ancient  canal.  Caravans  proceeding  from  Suez 
in  this  direction,  stop  the  first  night  at  Rejum  el-Khail, 
a  mere  station  in  the  desert  without  water ;  and  the 
next  day  reach  Ras  el- Wady,  a  considerable  village 
on  the  border  of  Wady  Tumilat,  some  distance  N.  E. 
of  Belbeis.  This  Wady  is  the  western  part  of  the 
broad  valley  of  the  canal,  which  more  to  the  eastward 
is  called  Wady  Seba’  Biyar  (Seven  Wells).  The 
water  of  the  Nile  flows  up  into  it  during  the  annual 
inundation,  sometimes  as  far  as  to  the  salt  lakes  called 
Temsali  (Crocodile  Lakes),  as  marked  on  the  maps; 
which  lakes  indeed  are  said  on  the  great  French  map 
to  have  water  only  at  these  periods.  This  inunda¬ 
tion  of  course  renders  the  valley  a  tract  of  fertile 
land,  on  which  are  scattered  many  villages  and  traces 
of  ancient  sites.  By  taking  a  direction  more  to  the 
right  from  Rejum  el-Khail,  a  day’s  journey  brings  the 

1)  Le  P£re  in  Descript,  de  through  a  side  valley  to  the  Nile 
PEygpte,  Et.  Mod.  I.  p.  46.  This  near  Tebbin,  some  distance  above 
route  serves  also  as  a  medium  of  Cairo. — For  other  names  of  this 
communication  between  Suez  and  valley,  see  Note  IX,  at  the  end  ot 
Upper  Egypt ;  a  branch  of  it  pass-  the  volume, 
ing  directly  from  Wady  Tawarik 

Vol.  I.  10 


74 


EXODUS  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


[Sec.  II. 


traveller  to  the  well  of  Abu  Suweirah,  situated  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  same  great  Wady,  a  little  N.  W. 
of  the  Crocodile  Lakes.1  A  more  direct  course  from 
Suez  to  the  latter  place,  is  prevented  by  salt  marshes, 
into  which  the  camels  sink  and  slip.  Our  Arabs,  who  had 
themselves  been  this  route  and  gave  us  this  informa¬ 
tion,  said  these  marshes  were  made  by  a  canal  cut 
thus  far  from  the  Red  Sea  and  then  neglected  ;  though 
now  a  hill  (as  they  said)  separates  them  from  the  sea. 
These  are  doubtless  the  well-known  marshes  or  Bitter 
Lakes  of  the  ancients,  which  the  French  found  to  be 
from  forty  to  fifty  feet  (12  to  15  metres)  below  the 
usual  level  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez  ;  while  the  broad  tract 
of  sand  which  now  separates  them  from  the  Gulf  is 
only  about  three  feet  above  the  same  level.  A  higher 
bank  or  swell  of  ground  at  their  western  extremity, 
separates  them  in  like  manner  from  the  Crocodile 
Lakes,  and  forms  the  utmost  limit  of  the  inundations 
of  the  Nile.2 


The  bearing  of  the  preceding  details  upon  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  events  of  Biblical  History,  will 
be  obvious ;  I  mean  the  Exodus  of  the  Israelites  and 
their  passage  through  the  Red  Sea.  I  propose  to 
bring  together  in  this  place  all  I  have  to  say  on  this 
subject ;  premising  such  information  as  we  were  able 
to  obtain  relative  to  the  Land  of  Goshen,  and  the  pro¬ 
bable  route  of  the  Israelites  on  leaving  Egypt. 

We  were  quite  satisfied  from  our  own  observa¬ 
tion,  that  they  could  not  have  passed  to  the  Red  Sea 

1)  See  Note  X.  contained  in  the  great  French 

2)  Roziere in Descr.  de PEgypte,  work,  is  given  by  Mr.  Maclarin  in 
Antiq.Mem.  I.  p.  137.  Le  Pere  and  the  Edinburgh  Philosophical  Jour- 
Du  Bois-Ayme,  ib.  Et.  Mod.  I.  p.  nal,  1825,  Vol.  XIII.  p.  274.  See 
21,  seq.  187,  seq.  Comp.  Ritter’s  further  in  Note  XI,  end  of  the 
Erdkunde,  Th.  II.  1818,  p.  232,  seq.  volume. 

A  valuable  abstract  of  the  results 


Sec.  II.] 


DIFFICULTIES. 


75 


from  any  point  near  Heliopolis  or  Cairo  in  three  days, 
the  longest  interval  which  the  language  of  the  narra¬ 
tive  allows.  Both  the  distance  and  the  want  of  water 
on  all  the  routes,  are  fatal  to  such  an  hypothesis.  We 
read,  that  there  were  six  hundred  thousand  men  of 
the  Israelites  above  twenty  years  of  age,  who  left 
Egypt  on  foot.1  There  must  of  course  have  been  as 
many  women  above  twenty  years  old ;  and  at  least 
an  equal  number  both  of  males  and  females  under  the 
same  age ;  besides  the  11  mixed  multitude”  spoken  of, 
and  very  much  cattle.  The  whole  number  therefore 
probably  amounted  to  two  and  a  half  millions,  and 
certainly  to  not  less  than  two  millions.  Now  the 
usual  day’s  march  of  the  best  appointed  armies, 
both  in  ancient  and  modern  times,  is  not  estimated 
higher  than  fourteen  English,  or  twelve  geographical 
miles  ;2  and  it  cannot  be  supposed  that  the  Israelites, 
encumbered  with  women  and  children  and  flocks, 
would  be  able  to  accomplish  more.  But  the  distance 
on  all  these  routes  being  not  less  than  sixty  geogra¬ 
phical  miles,  they  could  not  well  have  travelled  it  in 
any  case  in  less  than  five  days. 

The  difficulty  as  to  water  might  indeed  have  been 
obviated,  so  far  as  the  Israelites  were  concerned,  by 
taking  with  them  a  supply  from  the  Nile,  like  the 
caravans  of  modern  days.  But  Pharaoh  appears  to 
have  followed  them  upon  the  same  track  with  all  his 
horses  and  chariots  and  horsemen;  and  this  could  not 
have  taken  place  upon  any  of  the  routes  between 
Cairo  and  the  Red  Sea.  Horses  are  indeed  often 
taken  across  at  the  present  day ;  but  then  a  supply 


1)  Ex.  xii.  37,  38.  Compare 
Num.  i.  2,  3,  45,  46,  where  a  year 
later  the  number  is  given  at 
603,550. 

2)  Rennell’s  Compar.  Geogr. 
of  Western  Asia,  I.  p.  liv.  I  am 
informed  by  Prussian  officers  of 
rank,  that  the  usual  march  of  their 


armies  is  three  German  miles  a 
day,  equal  to  twelve  geographi¬ 
cal  miles  of  sixty  to  the  degree. 
Forced  marches  are  reckoned  at 
five  German  miles  a  day.  In  either 
case  the  whole  army  rests  every 
fourth  day. 


76 


EXODUS  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


[Sec.  II. 


of  water  must  be  provided  for  them,  usually  about 
two  water-skins  for  each  horse.  Six  of  these  water¬ 
skins  are  a  load  for  a  camel ;  so  that  for  every  three 
horses,  there  must  be  a  camel-load  of  water.  Still  they 
not  unfrequently  die ;  and  we  saw  the  carcasses  of 
several  which  had  perished  during  the  recent  passage 
of  the  Ilaj.  Flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  might  pass 
across ;  hut  for  neat  cattle  this  would  he  impossible, 
without  a  like  supply  of  water. 

LAND  OF  GOSHEN. 

The  preceding  considerations  go  far  to  support  the 
usual  view  of  scholars  at  the  present  day,  that  the 
Land  of  Goshen  lay  along  the  Pelusiac  arm  of  the 
Nile,  on  the  east  of  the  Delta,  and  was  the  part  of 
Egypt  nearest  to  Palestine.1  This  tract  is  now  com¬ 
prehended  in  the  modern  province  esh-Shurkiyeh, 
which  extends  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Abu  Za’bel 
to  the  sea,  and  from  the  desert  to  the  former  Tanaitic 
branch  of  the  Nile ;  thus  including  also  the  valley  of 
the  ancient  canal.  If  the  Pelusiac  arm,  as  is  com¬ 
monly  assumed,  were  navigable  for  fleets  in  ancient 
times,  the  Israelites  were  probably  confined  to  its 
eastern  bank ;  but  if  we  are  at  liberty  to  suppose, 
that  this  stream  was  never  much  larger  than  at  pre¬ 
sent,  then  they  may  have  spread  themselves  out 
upon  the  Delta  beyond  it,  until  restrained  by  larger 
branches  of  the  Nile.2  That  the  Land  of  Goshen  lay 
upon  the  waters  of  the  Nile,  is  apparent  from  the  cir¬ 
cumstance,  that  the  Israelites  practised  irrigation  ; 
that  it  was  a  land  of  seed,  figs,  vines,  and  pomegra¬ 
nates  ;  that  the  people  ate  of  fish  freely ;  while  the 


1)  The  usual  arguments  from 
Scripture  and  the  early  writers, 
on  which  this  opinion  rests,  may 
be  found  in  Rosenmueller’s  Bibl. 
Geogr.  III.  p.  246,  seq.  Gesenius’ 
Thesaur.  Ling.  Heb.  p.  307.  Amer. 
Bibl.  Repos.  Oct.  1832.  p.  744.  A 


view  of  the  various  earlier  theories 
respecting  the  position  of  Goshen, 
is  given  in  Bellermann’s  Handb. 
der  bibl.  Literatur,  IV.  p.  191,  seq. 
Gesenius,  1.  c. 

2)  See  Note  XII,  end  of  the 
volume. 


Sec.  II.] 


LAND  OF  GOSHEN. 


77 


enumeration  of  the  articles  for  which  they  longed  in 
the  desert,  corresponds  remarkably  with  the  list  given 
by  Mr.  Lane  as  the  food  of  the  modern  Fellahs.1  All 
this  goes  to  show,  that  the  Israelites,  when  in  Egypt, 
lived  much  as  the  Egyptians  do  now ;  and  that  Goshen 
probably  extended  further  west  and  more  into  the 
Delta  than  has  usually  been  supposed.  They  would 
seem  to  have  lived  interspersed  among  the  Eg}^ptians  of 
that  district,  perhaps  in  separate  villages,  much  as  the 
Copts  of  the  present  day  are  mingled  with  the  Moham¬ 
medans.  This  appears  from  the  circumstance  of  their 
borrowing  “  jewels  of  gold  and  silver”  from  their 
Egyptian  neighbours;  and  also  from  the  fact,  that 
their  houses  were  to  be  marked  with  blood,  in  order 
that  they  might  be  distinguished  and  spared  in  the 
last  dread  plague  of  the  Egyptians.2 

The  immediate  descendants  of  Jacob  were  doubt¬ 
less  nomadic  shepherds  like  their  forefathers,  dwelling 
in  tents ;  and  probably  drove  their  Hocks  for  pasture 
far  up  in  the  Wadys  of  the  desert,  like  the  present  in¬ 
habitants  of  the  same  region.3  But  in  process  of  time 
they  became  also  tillers  of  the  soil,  and  exchanged 
their  tents  for  more  fixed  habitations.  Even  now 
there  is  a  colony  of  the  Tawarah  Arabs,  about  fifty 
families,  living  near  Abu  Za?bel,  who  cultivate  the  soil 
and  yet  dwell  in  tents.  They  came  thither  from  Mount 
Sinai  about  four  years  before  the  French  invasion. 
This  drove  them  back  for  a  time  to  the  mountains  of 
the  Terabin,  E.  of  Suez  ;  but  they  had  acquired  such 
a  taste  for  the  good  things  of  Egypt,  that  like  the  Isra- 


1)  Deut.  xi.  10.  Num.  xx.  5. 
Num.  xi.  5,  “  We  remember  the 
fish  we  did  eat  in  Egypt  freely ; 
the  cucumbers,  and  the  melons,  and 
the  leeks,  and  the  onions,  and  the 
garlic.” — Manners  and  Customs  of 
the  Mod.  Egyptians,  I.  p.  242, 
“  Their  food  consists  of  bread  made 
of  millet  or  of  maize,  milk,  new 


cheese,  eggs,  small  salted  fish,  cu¬ 
cumbers,  and  melons,  and  gourds 
of  a  great  variety  of  kinds,  onions, 
and  leeks,  beans,  chick-peas,  lu¬ 
pins,”  etc.  etc. 

2)  Ex.  xi.  2.  xii.  12,  13,  22,  23, 
etc. 

3)  See  above,  p.  59. 


78 


EXODUS  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


[Sec.  II. 


elites  they  could  not  live  in  the  desert,  and  soon  re¬ 
turned  after  the  French  were  gone.  “  Now,”  said  our 
Arabs,  “though we  acknowledge  them  as  cousins,  they 
have  no  right  to  dwell  among  us ;  nor  could  they  live 
in  our  barren  mountains  after  enjoying  so  long  the  lux¬ 
uries  of  Egypt.” 

The  Land  of  Goshen  was  “  the  best  of  the  land  ;m 
and  such  too  the  province  esh-Shurkiyeh  has  ever 
been,  down  to  the  present  time.  In  the  remarkable 
Arabic  document  translated  by  De  Sacy,2  containing  a 
valuation  of  all  the  provinces  and  villages  of  Egypt  in 
the  year  1376,  the  province  of  the  Shurkiyeh  comprises 
383  towns  and  villages,  and  is  valued  at  1,411,875 
Dinars — a  larger  sum  than  is  put  upon  any  other  pro¬ 
vince,  with  one  exception.  During  my  stay  in  Cairo, 
I  made  many  inquiries  respecting  this  district;  to 
which  the  uniform  reply  was,  that  it  was  considered 
as  the  best  province  in  Egypt.  Wishing  to  obtain 
more  definite  information,  I  ventured  to  request  of 
Lord  Prudhoe,  with  whom  the  Pasha  was  understood 
to  be  on  a  very  friendly  footing,  to  obtain  for  me,  if 
possible,  a  statement  of  the  valuation  of  the  provinces 
of  Egypt.  This,  as  he  afterwards  informed  me,  could 
not  well  be  done ;  but  he  had  ascertained  that  the 
province  of  the  Shurkiyeh  bears  the  highest  valuation 
and  yields  the  largest  revenue.  He  had  himself  just 
returned  from  an  excursion  to  the  lower  parts  of  this 
province,  and  confirmed  from  his  own  observation  the 
reports  of  its  fertility.  This  arises  from  the  fact  that 
it  is  intersected  by  canals,  while  the  surface  of  the 
land  is  less  elevated  above  the  level  of  the  Nile,  than 
in  other  parts  of  Egypt ;  so  that  it  is  more  easily  irri¬ 
gated.  There  are  here  more  flocks  and  herds  than 
anywhere  else  in  Egypt;  and  also  more  fishermen. 

1)  Gen.  xlvii.  6,  “in  the  best  of  2)  Abdallatif’s  Relation  de 
the  land, — in  the  land  of  Goshen.”  l’Egypte ;  par  De  Sacy,  p.  583. 


Sec.  II.] 


ROUTE  TO  THE  RED  SEA. 


79 


The  population  is  half  migratory,  composed  partly  of 
Fellahs,  and  partly  of  Arabs  from  the  adjacent  deserts 
and  even  from  Syria;  who  retain  in  part  their  no¬ 
madic  habits,  and  frequently  remove  from  one  village 
to  another.  Yet  there  are  very  many  villages  wholly 
deserted,  where  many  thousands  of  people  might  at 
once  find  a  habitation.  Even  now  another  million  at 
least  might  be  sustained  in  the  district ;  and  the  soil 
is  capable  of  higher  tillage  to  an  indefinite  extent. 
So  too  the  adjacent  desert,  so  far  as  water  could  be 
applied  for  irrigation,  might  be  rendered  fertile ;  for 
wherever  water  is,  there  is  fertility. 

ROUTE  OF  THE  ISRAELITES  TO  THE  RED  SEA. 

From  the  Land  of  Goshen  as  thus  defined  to  the 
Red  Sea,  the  direct  and  only  route  was  along  the  val¬ 
ley  of  the  ancient  canal.  The  Israelites  broke  up  from 
their  rendezvous  at  Rameses  “  on  the  fifteenth  day  of 
the  first  month,  on  the  morrow  after  the  passover  ;m  and 
proceeded  by  Succoth  and  Etham  to  the  sea.  With¬ 
out  stopping  to  inquire  as  to  the  identity  of  Rameses 
with  Heroopolis,  or  the  position  of  the  latter  place,  it 
is  enough  for  our  purpose,  that  the  former  town  (as  is 
generally  admitted)  lay  probably  on  the  valley  of  the 
canal  in  the  middle  part,  not  far  from  the  western  ex¬ 
tremity  of  the  basin  of  the  Bitter  Lakes.  Nor  is  it 
necessary  to  discuss  the  point,  whether  this  basin  an¬ 
ciently  formed  a  prolongation  of  the  Gulf  of  the  Red 
Sea,  as  is  supposed  by  some ;  or,  as  is  more  probable, 
was  covered  with  brackish  water,  separated  from  the 
Red  Sea,  as  now,  by  a  tract  of  higher  ground.  No¬ 
thing  more  is  needed  for  our  present  purpose,  even  ad¬ 
mitting  that  a  communication  existed  from  this  basin 
to  the  sea,  than  to  suppose  that  the  inlet,  if  any,  was 


1)  Ex.  xii.  37.  Num.  xxxiii.  3. 


EXODUS  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


80 


[Sec.  II. 


already  so  small,  as  to  present  no  important  obstacle 
to  the  advance  of  the  Israelites.1 

From  Rameses  to  the  head  of  the  Gulf,  according 
to  the  preceding  data,  would  be  a  distance  of  some  thir¬ 
ty  or  thirty-five  miles ;  which  might  easily  have  been 
passed  over  by  the  Israelites  in  three  days.  A  large 
portion  of  the  people  were  apparently  already  collected 
at  Rameses,  waiting  for  permission  to  depart,  when 
the  last  great  plague  took  place.  From  the  time  when 
Pharaoh  dismissed  Moses  and  Aaron  in  the  night  of  the 
fourteenth  day  of  the  month  (according  to  the  Jewish 
reckoning),  until  the  morning  of  the  fifteenth  day,  when 
the  people  set  off,  there  was  an  interval  of  some  thirty 
hours,  during  which  these  leaders  could  easily  reach 
Rameses  from  the  court  of  Pharaoh,  whether  this  were 
at  Memphis,  or,  as  is  more  probable,  at  Zoan  or  Tanis.2 

The  first  day’s  march  brought  them  to  Succoth,  a 
name  signifying  “  booths,”  which  might  be  applied  to 
any  temporary  station  or  encampment.  Whether  there 
was  water  here  is  not  mentioned ;  and  the  position  of 
the  place  cannot  be  determined.  On  the  second  day 
they  reached  Etham  “  in  the  edge  of  the  wilderness.”3 
What  wilderness  h  The  Israelites  after  passing  the 
Red  Sea  are  said  in  Exodus  to  have  gone  three  days’ 
march  into  the  desert  of  Shur ;  but  in  Numbers,  the 
same  tract  is  called  the  desert  of  Etham.4  It  hence 
follows,  that  Etham  probably  lay  on  the  edge  of  this 
eastern  desert,  perhaps  not  far  from  the  present  head 
of  the  Gulf,  and  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  line  of  the 
Gulf  or  canal.  May  it  not  have  stood  upon  or  near  the 
strip  of  land  between  the  Gulf  and  the  basin  of  the 
Bitter  Lakes  75  At  any  rate,  it  would  seem  to  have 


1)  See  Note  XIII. 

2)  The  Psalmist  places  the 

scene  of  the  miracles  of  Moses  in 

the  region  of  Zoan.  Ps.  lxxviii. 

12,  43. 


3)  Ex.  xiii.  20.  Num.  xxxiii.  6. 

4)  Ex.  xv.  22.  Num.  xxxiii.  8. 

5)  This  view  would  be  sup¬ 
ported  by  the  Egyptian  etymology 
which  Jablonsky  assigns  to  the 


Sec.  II.] 


PASSAGE  OF  THE  RED  SEA. 


81 


been  the  point  from  which  the  direct  course  of  the 
Israelites  to  Sinai  would  have  led  them  around  the 
present  head  of  the  Gulf  and  along  its  eastern  side. 
From  Etham  they  “turned”  more  to  the  right;  and 
instead  of  passing  along  the  eastern  side,  they  marched 
down  the  western  side  of  the  arm  of  the  Gulf,  to  the 
vicinity  of  Suez.  This  movement,  apparently  so 
directly  out  of  their  course,  might  well  give  Pharaoh 
occasion  to  say,  “  they  are  entangled  in  the  land,  the 
wilderness  hath  shut  them  in and  lead  him  to  pursue 
them  with  his  horsemen  and  chariots,  in  the  hope  of 
speedily  overtaking  and  forcing  them  to  return.1 

The  position  of  Migdol,  Pi-haheroth,  and  Baal- 
Zephon,  cannot  of  course  be  determined ;  except  that 
they  probably  were  on  or  near  the  great  plain  back  of 
Suez.  If  the  wells  of  ’Ajrud  and  Bir  Suweis  were 
then  in  existence,  they  would  naturally  mark  the  sites 
of  towns ;  but  there  is  no  direct  evidence  either  for  or 
against  such  an  hypothesis.  That  this  point,  so  im¬ 
portant  for  the  navigation  of  the  Red  Sea,  was  already 
occupied  by  a  town,  perhaps  Baal-Zephon,  is  not  im¬ 
probable.  A  few  centuries  later  several  cities  lay  in 
the  vicinity ;  and  these  must  have  had  wells,  or  there 
were  more  fountains  than  at  present.  In  this  plain,  the 
Israelites  would  have  abundant  space  for  their  encamp¬ 
ment. 

PASSAGE  OF  THE  RED  SEA. 

The  question  here  has  respect  to  the  part  of  the 
sea  where  the  passage  took  place.  This  many  writers 
and  travellers  have  assumed  to  be  the  point  at  the 
mouth  of  Wady  Tawarik,  south  of  Ras  ’Atakah ;  prin¬ 
cipally  perhaps  because  it  was  supposed  that  the  Is¬ 
raelites  passed  down  that  valley.  But  according  to 

name  Etham,  viz.  ATIOM ,  “  Bor-  1)  Ex.  xiv.  2,  3,  seq. 
der  of  the  Sea.” 

VOL.  I. 


11 


82 


EXODUS  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


[Sec.  II. 


the  preceding  views,  this  could  not  well  have  taken 
place ;  and  therefore,  if  they  crossed  at  that  point,  they 
must  first  have  passed  down  around  Ras  7 At ak all  and 
encamped  in  the  plain  at  the  mouth  of  the  valley. 

The  discussion  of  this  question  has  often  been  em¬ 
barrassed,  by  not  sufficiently  attending  to  the  circum¬ 
stances  narrated  by  the  sacred  historian ;  which  are, 
in  the  main  points,  the  following.  The  Israelites, 
hemmed  in  on  all  sides, — on  their  left  and  in  front  the 
sea,  on  their  right  Jebel  7Atakah,  and  behind  them  the 
Egyptians, — began  to  despair  of  escape,  and  to  mur¬ 
mur  against  Moses.  The  Lord  now  directed  Moses  to 
stretch  out  his  rod  over  the  sea ;  and  the  Lord  caused 
the  sea  to  flow  (Heb.  go)  by  a  strong  east  wind  all 
that  night,  and  made  the  sea  dry ;  and  the  waters  were 
divided.  And  the  children  of  Israel  went  into  the 
midst  of  the  sea  upon  the  dry  (ground) ;  and  the  wa¬ 
ters  were  a  wall  unto  them  on  their  right  hand  and 
on  their  left.  The  Egyptians  pursued  and  went  in  after 
them ;  and  in  the  morning  watch,  the  Lord  troubled  the 
host  of  the  Egyptians.  And  Moses  stretched  out  his 
hand  over  the  sea,  and  the  sea  returned  to  his  strength 
when  the  morning  appeared,  and  the  Egyptians  fled 
against  it ;  and  the  waters  returned  and  covered  all 
the  host  of  Pharaoh.1 

In  this  narration  there  are  two  main  points,  on 
which  the  whole  question  may  be  said  to  turn.  The 
first  is,  the  means  or  instrument  with  which  the  miracle 
was  wrought.  The  Lord,  it  is  said,  caused  the  sea  to 
go  (or  flow  out)  by  a  strong  east  wind.  The  miracle 
therefore  is  represented  as  mediate ;  not  a  direct  sus¬ 
pension  of,  or  interference  with  the  laws  of  nature,  but 
a  miraculous  adaptation  of  those  laws  to  produce  a 
required  result.  It  was  wrought  by  natural  means 


1)  Ex.  xiv.  11)  12,  21—28. 


Sec.  II.] 


PASSAGE  OF  THE  RED  SEA. 


83 


supernaturally  applied.  For  this  reason  we  are  here 
entitled  to  look  only  for  the  natural  effects  arising 
from  the  operation  of  such  a  cause.  In  the  somewhat 
indefinite  phraseology  of  the  Hebrew,  an  east  wind 
means  any  wind  from  the  eastern  quarter ;  and  would 
include  the  N.  E.  wind,  which  often  prevails  in  this 
region.  Nowt  it  will  he  obvious  from  the  inspection  of 
any  good  map  of  the  Gulf,1  that  a  strong  N.  E.  wind 
acting  here  upon  the  ebb  tide,  would  necessarily  have 
the  effect  to  drive  out  the  waters  from  the  small  arm 
of  the  sea  which  runs  up  by  Suez,  and  also  from  the 
end  of  the  Gulf  itself,  leaving  the  shallower  portions 
dry ;  while  the  more  northern  part  of  the  arm,  which 
was  anciently  broader  and  deeper  than  at  present, 
would  still  remain  covered  with  water.  Thus  the 
waters  would  be  divided,  and  be  a  wall  (or  defence) 
to  the  Israelites  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left. 
Nor  will  it  be  less  obvious  from  a  similar  inspection, 
that  in  no  other  part  of  the  whole  Gulf,  would  a  N.  E. 
wind  act  in  the  same  manner  to  drive  out  the  waters. 
On  this  ground,  then,  the  hypothesis  of  a  passage 
through  the  sea  opposite  to  Wady  Tawarik,  would 
be  untenable. 

The  second  main  point  has  respect  to  the  interval 
of  time  during  which  the  passage  was  effected.  It 
was  night ;  for  the  Lord  caused  the  sea  to  go  (out) 
a  all  night;”  and  when  the  morning  appeared,  it  had 
already  returned  in  its  strength ;  for  the  Egyptians 
were  overwhelmed  in  the  morning  watch.  If  then,  as 
is  most  probable,  the  wind  thus  miraculously  sent, 
acted  upon  the  ebb  tide  to  drive  out  the  waters  during 
the  night  to  a  far  greater  extent  than  usual,  we  still 
cannot  assume  that  this  extraordinary  ebb,  thus 
brought  •  about  by  natural  means,  would  continue 

1)  Especially  Niebuhr’s  Tab.  XXIV,  in  his  Beschr.  von  Arabien. 


84 


EXODUS  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


[Sec.  II. 


more  than  three  or  four  hours  at  the  most.  The  Isra¬ 
elites  were  probably  on  the  alert,  and  entered  upon 
the  passage  as  soon  as  the  way  was  practicable;  but 
as  the  wind  must  have  acted  for  some  time  before  the 
required  effect  would  be  produced,  we  cannot  well 
assume  that  they  set  off  before  the  middle  watch,  or 
towards  midnight.  Before  the  morning  watch  or  two 
o’clock,  they  had  probably  completed  the  passage ;  for 
the  Egyptians  had  entered  after  them,  and  were  des¬ 
troyed  before  the  morning  appeared.  As  the  Israelites 
numbered  more  than  two  millions  of  persons,  besides 
flocks  and  herds,  they  would  of  course  be  able  to  pass 
but  slowly.  If  the  part  left  dry  were  broad  enough 
to  enable  them  to  cross  in  a  body  one  thousand  abreast, 
which  would  require  a  space  of  more  than  half  a  mile 
in  breadth,  (and  is  perhaps  the  largest  supposition  ad¬ 
missible,)  still  the  column  would  be  more  than  two 
thousand  persons  in  depth ;  and  in  all  probability 
could  not  have  extended  less  than  two  miles.  It 
would  then  have  occupied  at  least  an  hour  in  passing 
over  its  own  length,  or  in  entering  the  sea ;  and  de¬ 
ducting  this  from  the  largest  time  intervening  before 
the  Egyptians  must  also  have  entered  the  sea,  there 
will  remain  only  time  enough,  under  the  circumstances, 
for  the  body  of  the  Israelites  to  have  passed  at  the 
most  over  a  space  of  three  or  four  miles.  This  cir¬ 
cumstance  is  fatal  to  the  hypothesis  of  their  having 
crossed  from  Wady  Tawarik ;  since  the  breadth  of  the 
sea  at  that  point,  according  to  Niebuhr’s  measurement, 
is  three  German  or  twelve  geogr.  miles,  equal  to  a 
whole  day’s  journey.1 

All  the  preceding  considerations  tend  conclusively 
to  limit  the  place  of  passage  to  the  neighbourhood  of 
Suez.  The  part  left  dry  might  have  been  within 


1)  Niebuhr’s  Reisebeschr.  I.  p.  251. 


Sec.  IL] 


PASSAGE  OF  THE  RED  SEA. 


85 


the  arm  which  sets  up  from  the  Gulf,  which  is  now 
two  thirds  of  a  mile  wide  in  its  narrowest  part,  and 
was  probably  once  wider ;  or  it  might  have  been  to 
the  southward  of  this  arm,  where  the  broad  shoals  are 
still  left  bare  at  the  ebb,  and  the  channel  is  sometimes 
forded,  tf  similar  shoals  might  be  supposed  to  have 
anciently  existed  in  this  part,  the  latter  supposition 
would  be  the  most  probable.  The  Israelites  would 
then  naturally  have  crossed  from  the  shore  west  of 
Suez  in  an  oblique  direction,  a  distance  of  three  or 
four  miles  from  shore  to  shore.  In  this  case  there  is 
room  for  all  the  conditions  of  the  miracle  to  be  amply 
satisfied. 

To  the  former  supposition,  that  the  passage  took 
place  through  the  arm  of  the  Gulf  above  Suez,  it  is 
sometimes  objected,  that  there  could  not  be  in  that 
part  space  and  depth  enough  of  water,  to  cause  the 
destruction  of  the  Egyptians  in  the  manner  related. 
It  must  however  be  remembered,  that  this  arm  was 
anciently  both  wider  and  deeper ;  and  also,  that  the 
sea  in  its  reflux  would  not  only  return  with  the  usual 
power  of  the  flood  tide,  but  with  a  far  greater  force 
and  depth,  in  consequence  of  having  been  thus  extra¬ 
ordinarily  driven  out  by  a  N.  E.  wind.  It  would  seem 
moreover  to  be  implied  in  the  triumphal  song  of  Moses 
on  this  occasion,  that  on  the  return  of  the  sea,  the 
wind  was  also  changed,  and  acted  to  drive  in  the  flood 
upon  the  Egyptians.1  Even  now  caravans  never  cross 
the  ford  above  Suez ;  and  it  is  considered  dangerous, 
except  at  quite  low  water.2  . 


1)  Ex.  xv.  10 ;  comp,  verse  8. 

2)  In  1799,  Gen.  Bonaparte  in 
returning  from  ’Ayun  Musa  at¬ 
tempted  the  ford.  It  was  already 
late  and  grew  dark  ;  the  tide  rose, 
and  flowed  with  greater  rapidity 
than  had  been  expected ;  so  that 


the  General  and  his  suite  were  ex¬ 
posed  to  the  greatest  danger,  al¬ 
though  they  had  guides  well  ac¬ 
quainted  with  the  ground.  See 
Note  of  Du  Bois-Ayme,  Descr. 
de  TEgypte,  Antiq.  Mem.  I.  p.  127, 
seq. 


86 


EXODUS  OF  THE  ISRAELITES. 


[Sec.  II. 


Our  own  observation  on  the  spot,  led  both  my 
companion  and  myself  to  incline  to  the  other  supposi¬ 
tion,  that  the  passage  took  place  across  shoals  adja¬ 
cent  to  Suez  on  the  south  and  southwest.  But  among 
the  many  changes  which  have  occurred  here  in 
the  lapse  of  ages,  it  is  of  course  impossible  to  decide 
with  certainty  as  to  the  precise  spot ;  nor  is  this  ne¬ 
cessary.  Either  of  the  above  suppositions  satisfies  the 
conditions  of  the  case ;  on  either  the  deliverance  of 
the  Israelites  was  equally  great,  and  the  arm  of 
Jehovah  alike  gloriously  revealed. 


SECTION  III. 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 

Friday ,  March  16th ,  1838— Having  seen  all  that 
Suez  offers  to  the  notice  of  the  traveller,  we  were  glad 
to  leave  it  again  this  day.  We  took  the  longer  route 
around  the  head  of  the  arm  or  inlet,  in  order  to  exa¬ 
mine  the  make  of  the  land ;  though  most  persons  send 
only  their  camels  round,  and  themselves  cross  at  the 
ferry.  Setting  off  at  1  o^clock  P.  M.  we  passed  to  the 
left  of  Tell  Kolzum,  and  taking  a  course  N.-JE.  reach¬ 
ed  at  2h  35'  the  mounds  of  the  ancient  canal.  The 
ground  all  the  way  is  a  hard  gravelly  plain,  slightly 
elevated  above  the  water,  and  sloping  gently  towards 
it.  The  hanks  of  the  ancient  canal  are  very  distinct, 
here  five  or  six  feet  high,  and  running  parallel  to  each 
other  thirty  or  forty  yards  apart,  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach  in  a  northerly  direction.1  The  route  of  the  Haj 
crosses  them  at  a  point  still  further  north.  We  now 
turned  E.  S.  E.  descending  to  the  lower  level  or  bed 
of  the  inlet,  where  the  ground  soon  began  to  bear  every 
mark  of  being  occasionally  overflowed ;  the  flood  tide 
evidently  at  some  seasons  extending  far  up  to  the 
northward.  The  bottom  was  fine  sand,  like  the  drift- 
sand  of  the  desert,  hardened  by  the  action  of  the  water, 
and  covered  in  some  places  with  a  saline  efflorescence. 
Here  we  silently  glided  out  of  Africa  into  Asia,  with- 


1)  See  in  Note  XI. 


88 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI, 


[Sec,  in 


out  knowing  the  precise  line  of  division.  At  3  o’clock^ 
Suez  hearing  S.  25°  W.  we  again  changed  our  course 
to  S.  by  E.  which  we  kept  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 

In  half  an  hour  more  we  came  to  low  hills  of  sand 
and  gravel,  connected  with  the  desert  on  our  left. 
Among  these  hills  tracts  of  low  land  of  the  character 
just  described  run  up  to  the  N.  E.  and  E.  for  a  great 
distance ;  showing  that  the  upper  part  of  this  arm  once 
spread  itself  out  into  a  large  bay,  in  which  these  hills 
were  islands,  if  they  then  existed.  One  such  apparent 
inlet  towards  the  N.  E.  was  very  large  and  distinctly 
marked.  We  were  nowhere  able  to  see  the  water  on 
our  right ;  and  could  not  determine  how  far  up  it  ex¬ 
tended  at  the  time;  partly  from  the  lowness  of  the 
ground,  and  partly  on  account  of  the  Mirage,. ,  which 
gave  to  the  whole  tract  in  that  direction  the  appear¬ 
ance  of  a  lake.  At  3U  55'  we  left  the  low  lands  en¬ 
tirely,  and  came  again  upon  a  gravelly  plain ;  from 
which,  half  an  hour  after,  the  town  bore  due  west? 
about  an  hour  distant.  At  ten  minutes  past  5  o’clock 
we  encamped  upon  this  desert  plain,  Suez  hearing  from 
us  N.  N.  W. 

The  nature  of  the  tract  we  had  thus  passed  over, 
strongly  indicates  that  the  arm  of  the  Gulf  which  now 
runs  up  north  of  Suez,  was  anciently  not  much  wider 
at  its  entrance  than  at  present ;  while  further  north  it 
spread  itself  out  into  a  broader  and  deeper  hay.  Par¬ 
allel  to  the  Gulf  on  the  east  runs  the  long  range  of 
mountains  called  er-Rahah,  which  seem  to  be  little 
more  than  an  ascent  to  the  high  plateau  of  the  interior 
desert.  They  are  some  four  or  five  hours  distant  from 
the  shore  of  the  Gulf;  and  the  tract  between  is  here 
a  gravelly  desert  plain,  sometimes  interrupted  by  low 
ridges  and  hills,  running  in  various  directions. 

The  place  where  we  encamped  was  about  an  hour 
and  a  half  distant  from  Suez ;  and  probably  it  was  in 


Mar.  170 


FOUNTAIN  NABA\ 


this  vicinity  that  the  children  of  Israel  came  out  upon 
the  eastern  shore.  Here,  at  our  evening  devotions, 
and  near  the  spot  where  it  was  composed  and  first 
sung,  we  read,  and  felt  in  its  full  force,  the  magnifi¬ 
cent  triumphal  song  of  Moses :  “  The  Lord  hath  tri¬ 
umphed  gloriously ;  the  horse  and  his  rider  he  hath 
thrown  into  the  sea.”  We  then  laid  us  down  in  peace 
and  slept ;  for  the  Lord  caused  us  also  to  dwell  here 
in  safety. 

Saturday ,  March  17th.  At  6h  20'  we  were  again 
upon  our  camels,  refreshed  and  invigorated  by  the 
balmy  air  of  the  morning.  The  weather  of  yesterday 
had  been  fine ;  and  it  continued  so  through  this  and 
many  succeeding  days.  Our  course  all  day  varied 
between  S.  by  E,  and  S.  S.  E.  nearly  parallel  to  the 
coast,  but  for  the  most  part  at  some  distance  from  it. 
At  7  o’clock  we  crossed  the  track  leading  from  the 
ferry  of  Suez  to  the  fountain  Naba’,  or,  as  it  was  called 
bv  our  Arabs,  el-Ghurkudeh,  from  which  that  town  is 
supplied  with  water  for  drinking.  From  this  point 
the  fountain  was  apparently  three  miles  distant.  Some 
of  our  Arabs  went  with  a  camel  for  water ;  while  we 
kept  on  our  way,  sending  one  of  our  servants  with 
them  to  see  that  the  skins  were  well  rinsed.  According 
to  his  report,  the  fountain  is  a  mere  excavation  in  the 
plain  at  the  foot  of  a  range  of  sand-hillocks,  a  basin 
eight  or  ten  feet  in  diameter  and  six  or  eight  feet  deep, 
with  stone  steps  to  go  down  into  it.  In  this  basin  the 
water,  which  is  quite  brackish,  boils  up  continually 
and  stands  two  or  three  feet  deep,  without  any  outlet ; 
furnishing  enough  to  supply  two  hundred  camel-loads 
at  once.  About  twenty  camels  were  then  there,  taking 
loads  of  water  for  Suez. 

Half  an  hour  afterwards  a  very  gradual  ascent  lay 
before  us,  which  terminated  at  8  o’clock  in  a  steep 
descent.  From  the  brow  of  the  latter  we  had  a  wide 

Vol.  I.  12 


90 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI, 


[Sec,  III, 


view  of  the  sea  and  of  the  low  plain  before  us,  in 
which  a  few  stunted  palm-trees  marked  the  situation 
of  ’Ayun  Musa,  the  fountains  of  Moses.  On  the  west 
of  the  sea,  the  barren  peaks  of  ’Atakah  and  Deraj  rose 
lofty  and  dark  ;  and  between  them  was  spread  out  the 
broad  plain  of  Wady  Tawarik.  On  our  left,  further 
to  the  south,  a  single  peak  in  the  range  of  er-Rahah 
formed  a  sort  of  land-mark,  which  we  had  already 
seen  from  Suez ;  it  is  called  Taset  Sudr,  lying  at  the 
head  of  the  Wady  of  that  name.  We  reached  Ay  On 
Musa  half  an  hour  afterwards.  Here  I  counted  seven 
fountains,  several  of  them  mere  recent  excavations  in 
the  sand,  in  which  a  little  brackish  water  was  stand¬ 
ing.  Others  are  older  and  more  abundant;  hut  the 
water  is  dark-coloured  and  brackish,  and  deposits  a 
hard  substance  as  it  rises ;  so  that  mounds  have  been 
formed  around  these  larger  springs,  on  the  top  of  which 
the  water  flows  out  and  runs  down  for  a  few  yards, 
till  it  is  lost  in  the  sand.  We  did  not  remark  that  the 
water  was  warm,  as  reported  by  Monconys  and  others. 
The  Arabs  call  the  northernmost  spring  sweet;  hut 
we  could  not  perceive  that  it  differed  much  from  the 
o tliers.  One  of  them  has  a  small  rude  drain  laid  with 
stones,  a  few  paces  long,  which  the  French  have  dig¬ 
nified  with  the  name  of  a  Venetian  aqueduct.1  About 
twenty  stunted  untrimmed  palm-trees,  or  rather  palm- 
hushes,  grow  round  about  in  the  arid  sand.  A  patch 
of  barley,  a  few  rods  square,  was  irrigated  from  one 
or  two  of  the  more  southern  fountains.  The  barley 
was  now  in  the  ear ;  and  we  counted  six  men  busy  in 
frightening  away  the  little  birds  called  Semmdneh  ; 

1)  See  Monge  in  Descr.  de  the  time  aware  of  this  hypothesis, 
l’Egypte,  Et.  Mod.  I.  p.  409,  seq.  and  did  not  therefore  examine  the 
Laborde’s  Map. — M.  Monge  speaks  coast.  But  there  is  nothing  around 
of  this  aqueduct  as  extending  down  the  springs  which  indicates  it.  See 
to  the  sea  so  as  to  form  a  watering-  also  Marmont’s  Voyage,  Tom.  IV. 
place  for  ships.  We  were  not  at  p.  153,  Brux.  1837. 


Mar.  17.] 


’AYTJN  MUSA. 


91 


thus  showing  the  value  attached  to  the  only  spot  of 
cultivation  in  the  vicinity  of  Suez,  to  which  place  they 
belonged.  There  were  also  a  few  cabbage-plants. 
Near  the  fountains  is  a  low  mound  of  rubbish  with 
fragments  of  tiles  and  pottery,  and  some  foundations 
visible  on  the  top,  apparently  marking  the  site  of  a 
former  village.1  Ras  ’Atakah  bore  from  here  S.  70°  W. 

Immediately  south  of  these  fountains,  the  path 
rises  over  sand-hills.  At  9h  35'  we  crossed  Wady  er- 
Reiyaneh  running  towards  the  sea  ;  as  do  all  the  fol¬ 
lowing  Wadys.  An  hour  further  on,  a  path  branched 
off  to  the  left,  towards  the  mountain  at  the  head  of 
Wady  Sudr,  where  the  Arabs  Terabin  have  their 
chief  encampment.  We  came  to  Wady  Kurdhiyeh 
at  llh  35  ;  not  a  plain  as  Burckhardt  says;2  for  the 
Bedawin  usually  give  names  only  to  the  Wadys,  and 
not  to  the  plains  between.  The  road  continues  over 
a  gravelly  tract  of  several  hours  in  extent.  At  12f 
o’clock  a  path  went  off  more  to  the  right,  which  leads 
along  the  shore  to  the  fountain  Abu  Suweirah  near 
the  mouth  of  Wady  Wardan,  and  so  to  the  warm 
springs  of  Jebel  Hummam.  Soon  after  1  o’clock  we 
crossed  Wady  el-Ahtha  coming  down  through  the 
plain.  All  these  Wadys  are  mere  depressions  in  the 
desert,  with  only  a  few  scattered  herbs  and  shrubs, 
now  withered  and  parched  with  drought.  Along 
these  plains  we  first  saw  scattered  rocks  of  coral- 
formation  ;  which  we  afterwards  found  also  in  the 
adjacent  hills.  At  4h  10'  we  encamped  near  the  mid¬ 
dle  of  Wady  Sudr,  a  broad  tract  on  a  level  with  the 
plain,  along  which  the  mountain-torrents  sweep  down 
to  the  sea.  It  is  covered  with  drift-sand,  which  accu- 

1)  M.  Monge  regards  this  as  away  water ;  Descr.  de  PEgypte, 
the  former  site  of  a  pottery,  where  1.  c. 

earthen  vessels  were  manufac-  2)  Travels  in  Syria,  etc.  p.  470. 
tured  on  the  spot,  in  order  to  carry 


92 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  IIL 


mulates  im  mounds  around  the  shrubs  and  low  trees. 
Here  were  a  few  stunted  tamarisk-trees,  and  many 
herbs  and  shrubs ;  so  that  our  camels  found  better 
pasture  than  heretofore.  The  peak  Taset  Sudr  bore 
nearly  East,  at  the  head  of  the  Wady.1 

The  former  mountain  is  so  called  (Cup  of  Sudr) 
from  a  fountain  near  it  which  runs  towards  Wady 
Sudr.  Here  are  the  head-quarters  of  the  Terabin, 
who  dwell  chiefly  in  the  mountains  er-Rahah,  but  visit 
also  the  fountain  Abu  Su  weir  ah,  and  claim  the  whole 
territory  from  opposite  Suez  to  Wady  Ghurundel. 
They  are  poor  and  few,  not  numbering  in  all  more 
than  twenty-five  tents  or  some  forty  families.  These 
Terabin  are  regarded  by  the  Tawarah  as  strangers 
here,  a  colony  from  the  main  tribe  of  the  same  name, 
which  occupies  the  country  south  of  Gaza,  and  is  very 
rich  in  flocks  and  herds.  Their  territory  as  above  de¬ 
scribed,  besides  the  two  fountains  just  mentioned,  in¬ 
cludes  also  those  of  Mab’Cik,  Naba’  and  ’Ayun  Musa  in 
the  north ;  as  well  as  those  of  Hawarah  and  Wady 
Ghurundel  in  the  south. 

With  our  Tawarah  guides,  we  had  every  reason 
to  be  satisfied.  They  were  good-natured  obliging  fel¬ 
lows,  ready  and  desirous  to  do  for  us  every  tiling  we 
wished,  so  far  as  it  was  in  their  power.  Besharah 
had  the  command,  and  took  charge  of  the  arrange¬ 
ments  for  encamping  at  night  and  setting  off  in  the 
morning ;  but  in  other  respects  all  seemed  to  be  much 
on  a  footing.  They  walked  lightly  and  gaily  by  our 
side;  often  outstripping  the  camels  for  a  time,  and 
then  as  often  lagging  behind ;  and  they  seldom  seemed 
tired  at  night.  Like  all  the  Tawarah  they  wore  tur¬ 
bans,  and  not  the  Kefiyeh  of  the  northern  and  eastern 

1)  The  northernmost  peak  of  Kulalah,  N.  89°  W.  Southern 
Jebel  ’At&kah  bore  N.  34°  W.  end  of  the  same  S.  53°  W. 

The  northern  end  of  Jebel  Deraj  or 


Mar.  17.] 


WADY  SUDR.  ARAB  GUIDES. 


93 


deserts.  Shoes  and  stockings  are  luxuries  which  nei¬ 
ther  their  poverty  nor  their  habits  permit  them  to  in¬ 
dulge  in ;  and  their  sandals  were  of  the  rudest  and 
most  primitive  kind,  made  of  the  thick  skin  of  a  spe¬ 
cies  of  fish  caught  in  the  Red  Sea.  Some  of  the  men 
had  old  muskets  with  match-locks  ;  the  barrels  mostly 
very  long  and  apparently  of  Turkish  or  western  man¬ 
ufacture  ;  while  the  stocks  and  locks  were  ruder,  and 
evidently  made  among  themselves.  Several  of  our 
Arabs  and  others  whom  we  saw,  carried  in  their 
hands  a  small  stick  or  staff  about  three  feet  long, 
having  a  crook  at  the  top  with  an  oblong  head  paral¬ 
lel  to  the  staff,  and  cut  in  a  peculiar  form.  This  is 
only  worth  mentioning,  as  presenting  a  remarkable 
instance  of  the  permanency  of  oriental  customs  ;  for 
this  very  stick,  precisely  in  the  same  form,  appears  in 
the  hands  of  figures  sculptured  on  the  walls  of  the 
Theban  temples.J 

We  had  paid  at  Cairo  one  hundred  Piastres  in  ad¬ 
vance  for  each  of  our  camels,  with  the  express  agree¬ 
ment  that  nothing  more  was  to  be  demanded  until  the 
end  of  the  journey ;  yet  on  arriving  at  Suez,  Resharah 
came  to  us  in  quite  a  humble  mood,  saying  that  all 
the  money  received  at  Cairo  had  been  paid  out  for 
necessaries  and  for  former  debts,  and  that  now  they 
had  nothing  wherewith  to  buy  provisions  and  fodder. 
To  us  it  was  a  matter  of  indifference,  whether  we  gave 
them  money  then  or  afterwards,  so  long  as  we  took 
care  not  to  advance  them  their  full  pay ;  and  we  there¬ 
fore  yielded  to  their  entreaty  in  this  respect.  It  was 
of  course  our  wish  and  endeavour  in  all  things  to  deal 
with  them  kindly,  and  treat  them  as  men ;  and  in  this 
way  we  won  their  confidence  and  received  from  them 
kindness  in  return.  Travellers  often  complain  of  the 

1)  See  Rosellini  Monumenti  CXXII,  CXXXIV,  and  several 
Storici,  Plates  XLII,  CXXI,  others. 


94 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


obstinacy  of  the  Bedawin,  and  of  the  impositions  at¬ 
tempted  by  them  ;  and  probably  not  without  reason ; 
but  the  fault,  I  apprehend,  most  frequently  lies  on  the 
side  of  the  traveller  himself.  He  cannot  usually  con¬ 
verse  with  his  guides  except  through  an  interpreter, 
who  is  to  them  an  object  of  suspicion  or  contempt; 
and  the  traveller  thus  becomes  himself  suspected,  and 
suspects  them  in  turn,  until  even  their  most  harmless 
movements  are  distorted  and  ascribed  to  hostile  mo¬ 
tives.  Not  unfrequently  too,  the  stranger  undertakes  to 
carry  his  point  by  threats  and  violence ;  and  he  may 
thus  succeed  for  the  moment ;  but  he  will  find  in  the 
end,  that  instead  of  friends,  he  has  made  enemies ;  and 
he  will  leave  behind  no  good  name,  either  for  himself 
or  for  his  countrymen  who  may  come  after  him.  Kind 
words  and  a  timely  appeal  to  their  palates  and  stom¬ 
achs,  are  a  cheaper  and  far  more  efficacious  means  of 
carrying  a  point  with  the  Bedawin,  than  hard  words 
and  browbeating.  Had  we  adopted  the  latter  course 
with  our  guides,  I  doubt  not  we  should  have  found 
them  as  wilful  and  obstinate  as  they  have  sometimes 
been  represented. 

Sunday ,  March  18 th.  We  remained  encamped  all 
day  in  Wady  Sudr.  We  had  determined,  before  set¬ 
ting  off  from  Cairo  always  to  rest  on  the  Christian 
Sabbath,  if  possible ;  and  during  all  our  journies  in  the 
Holy  Land,  we  were  never  compelled  to  break  over 
this  rule  but  once.  Strange  as  it  may  at  first  seem, 
these  Sabbaths  in  the  desert  had  a  peculiar  charm ; 
and  left  upon  the  mind  an  impression  that  can  never 
be  forgotten. 

We  had  made  no  agreement  with  our  Arabs  on 
this  point;  leaving  it  to  time  and  circumstances  to 
open  the  way  for  such  an  arrangement.  On  mention¬ 
ing  to  them  yesterday  our  wish  to  lie  by  for  to-day, 
they  made  no  objection,  and  were  quite  ready  to  gra- 


Mar.  19.] 


WADY  WARDAN. 


95 


tify  us.  The  poor  fellows  set  no  value  on  time  ;  and 
when  a  bargain  is  once  made,  whether  they  spend  ten 
days  or  fifteen  upon  the  way,  is  a  matter  of  no  impor¬ 
tance  to  them.  We  gave  them  rice  for  their  dinner ;  and 
thus  afforded  them  quite  a  feast.  One  of  them  had 
sore  eyes ;  and  we  were  glad  for  his  sake  and  our 
own,  that  we  had  brought  with  us  a  supply  of  eye¬ 
water. 

About  noon  three  men  on  camels  came  up  and 
stopped  near  us  for  the  rest  of  the  day  and  night.  One 
was  a  young  monk,  a  sort  of  noviciate  in  the  Convent 
of  Mount  Sinai ;  another  a  Greek  priest  from  Philip- 
popolis;  and  the  third  a  Wallachian  pilgrim ;  all  on 
their  way  to  the  Convent.  They  kept  near  us  during 
several  of  the  following  days. 

Monday ,  March  19th.  We  rose  early  and  set  off 
with  the  rising  sun ;  which,  throwing  its  mellow 
beams  across  the  Gulf,  gave  us  a  distinct  view  of  the 
dark  face  of  ’Atakah,  and  of  the  more  southern  Kula- 
lah  (as  our  Arabs  called  it)  with  its  long  ridge,  and 
of  the  broad  Wady  Tawarik  between  these  two  moun¬ 
tains.  Keeping  on  our  way  over  the  same  great  plain, 
we  reached  at  9J  o’clock  the  north  side  of  Wady 
Wardan,  a  broad  strip  like  Wady  Siidr,  marked  by 
torrent-beds  and  drifts  of  sand.  In  it  towards  the  sea¬ 
shore  is  the  fountain  Abu  Suweirah,  which  usually 
affords  a  small  quantity  of  sweet  water;  but  dries  up 
when  the  rains  fail  for  a  season.  Here  was  the  scene 
of  an  interesting  story  of  Arab  warfare,  related  by 
Burckhardt.1  The  mountains  on  the  east  still  bore 
the  general  name  er-Rahah ;  but  different  parts  were 
now  named  after  the  Wadys  which  descend  from  them ; 
as  Taset  Siidr,  Jebel  Wardan,  and  the  like.  Near 
the  head  of  Wady  Wardan,  a  range  of  hills  comes  off 
from  these  mountains  in  a  S.  W.  direction;  while  near 

1)  Page  471.  I  shall  recur  to  ing  of  the  character  of  the  Tawa- 
the  same  story  further  on,  in  speak-  rah. 


96 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  IIL 


the  mouth  of  the  same  Wady  a  low  chain  of  sand-hills 

begins  on  the  right,  and  runs  towards  the  S.  E.  These 
unite  about  four  hours  from  Wady  Wardan,  and  termi¬ 
nate  the  great  plain.  At  12  o’clock  we  entered  among 
the  hills,  the  road  winding  for  a  time  under  the  eastern 
side  of  two  high  hills  or  banks  of  sand  and  pebbles ;  and 
after  twenty-five  minutes  crossed  a  ridge  where  we  had 
the  first  view  of  Jebel  Hiimmam,  bearing  South.  The 
way  continued  among  hills  of  limestone  formation,  all 
equally  destitute  of  vegetation,  and  some  of  them  ex¬ 
hibiting  an  abundance  of  crystallized  sulphate  of 
lime.  Twenty  minutes  further  brought  us  to  the 
small  Wady  el-’Amarah,  having  in  it  a  few  scattered 
shrubs.  At  o’clock  we  passed  a  large  square  rock 
lying  near  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  our  right.  It  is  called 
Hajr  er-Rukkab,  “  Stone  of  the  Riders,”  and  is 
mentioned  by  Niebuhr.  Fifteen  minutes  beyond  this, 
we  came  to  the  fountain  Hawarah,  lying  to  the  left  of 
the  road  on  a  large  mound,  composed  of  a  whitish 
rocky  substance  formed  apparently  by  the  deposites 
of  the  fountain  during  the  lapse  of  ages.  No  stream 
was  now  flowing  from  it;  though  there  are  traces  of 
running  water  round  about.  The  basin  is  six  or  eight 
feet  in  diameter,  and  the  water  about  two  feet  deep. 
Its  taste  is  unpleasant,  saltish,  and  somewhat  bitter ; 
but  we  could  not  perceive  that  it  was  very  much 
worse  than  that  of  Ay  Cm  Musa ;  perhaps  because  we 
were  not  yet  connoisseurs  in  bad  water.  The  Arabs 
however  pronounce  it  bitter,  and  consider  it  as  the 
worst  water  in  all  these  regions.  Yet  when  pinched, 
they  drink  of  it;  and  our  camels  also  drank  freely. 
Near  by  the  spring  were  two  stunted  palm-trees ;  and 
round  about  it  many  bushes  of  the  shrub  Ghurkiid, 
now  in  blossom.1  This  is  a  low  bushy  thorny  shrub, 

1)  Peganum  retusum  Forsk.  Desfontaines ;  Flora  Atlant.  I.  372. 
Flora.  Aeg.  Arab.  p.  LXVI.  More  Comp.  Gesenius5  Note  on  Burck- 
correctly  Nitraria  tridentala  of  hardt,  p.  1082. 


Mar.  19.] 


’AIN  HAWARAH. 


97 


producing  a  small  fruit  which  ripens  in  June,  not 
unlike  the  barberry,  very  juicy  and  slightly  acidu¬ 
lous.  The  Ghurkud  seems  to  delight  in  a  saline  soil ; 
for  we  found  it  growing  around  all  the  brackish  foun¬ 
tains  which  we  afterwards  fell  in  with,  during  our 
journies  in  and  around  Palestine.  In  the  midst  of 
parched  deserts,  as  in  the  Glior  South  of  the  Dead 
Sea,  where  the  heat  was  intense  and  the  fountains 
briny,  the  red  berries  of  this  plant  often  afforded  us  a 
grateful  refreshment. 

The  fountain  of  Hawarah  is  first  distinctly  men¬ 
tioned  by  Burckhardt.  Pococke  perhaps  saw  it ;  though 
his  language  is  quite  indefinite.1  Niebuhr  passed  this 
way ;  but  his  guides  did  not  point  it  out  to  him ;  pro¬ 
bably  because  the  Arabs  make  no  account  of  it  as  a 
watering-place.  Since  Burckhardt’s  day  it  has  gener¬ 
ally  been  regarded  as  the  bitter  fountain  Marah,  which 
the  Israelites  reached  after  three  days7  march  without 
water  in  the  desert  of  Shur.2  The  position  of  the 
spring  and  the  nature  of  the  country  tally  very  ex¬ 
actly  with  this  supposition.  After  having  passed  the 
Red  Sea,  the  Israelites  would  naturally  supply  them¬ 
selves  from  the  fountains  of  Naba7  and  7 Ay un  Musa 
and  from  the  latter  to  Hawarah  is  a  distance  of  about 
sixteen  and  a  half  hours,  or  thirty-three  geogr.  miles ; 
which,  as  we  have  seen  above,  was  for  them  a  good 
three  days7  journey.  On  the  route  itself  there  is  no 
water ;  but  near  the  sea  is  now  the  small  fountain  Abu 
Suweirah,  which  may  then  have  been  dry  or  not  have 
existed ;  and  in  the  mountains  on  the  left  is  the  “  Cup 
of  Sudr,77  several  hours  from  the  road  and  probably 
unknown  to  the  Israelites.  I  see  therefore  no  valid 
objection  to  the  above  hypothesis.  The  fountain  lies 
at  the  specified  distance,  and  on  their  direct  route ;  for 


1)  Travels,  I.  p.  139.  fol. 
VOL.  I. 


2)  Ex.  xv.  23,  seq.  Num.  xxxiii.  8. 

13 


98 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


there  is  no  probability  that  they  passed  by  the  lower 
and  longer  road  along  the  sea-shore.  We  made  par¬ 
ticular  inquiries,  to  ascertain  whether  the  name  Marah 
still  exists,  as  reported  by  Shaw1  and  others;  but 
neither  the  Tawarah  Arabs,  nor  the  inhabitants  of 
Suez,  nor  the  monks  of  the  Convent,  so  far  as  we  could 
learn,  had  ever  heard  of  it.  Travellers  have  probably 
been  led  into  error  by  the  name  of  W ady  el-’ Amarah ; 
or  possibly  by  el-Murkhah,  a  fountain  nearly  two  days’ 
journey  further  South,  on  the  lower  route  to  Mount 
Sinai  and  Tur. 

Burckhardt  suggests  that  the  Israelites  may  have 
rendered  the  water  of  Marah  palatable,  by  mingling 
with  it  the  juice  of  the  berries  of  the  Ghurkud,2  The 
process  would  be  a  very  simple  one,  and  doubtless 
effectual ;  and  the  presence  of  this  shrub  around  all 
brackish  fountains,  would  cause  the  remedy  to  be 
always  at  hand.  But  as  the  Israelites  broke  up  from 
Egypt  on  the  morrow  of  Easter,  and  reached  Marah 
apparently  not  more  than  two  or  three  weeks  later, 
the  season  for  these  berries  would  hardly  have  arrived. 
We  made  frequent  and  diligent  inquiries,  whether  any 
process  is  now  known  among  the  Bedawin  for  thus 
sweetening  bad  water,  either  by  means  of  the  juice  of 
berries,  or  the  bark  or  leaves  of  any  tree  or  plant ; 
but  we  were  invariably  answered  in  the  negative.3 

Proceeding  on  our  way,  in  half  an  hour  we  had  on 
our  left  a  small  plain  or  basin,  called  Nukeia’  el-Fiil, 
in  which  water  stands  after  abundant  rains,  causing  a 
soil  of  rich  loam,  which  produces  a  luxuriant  vegeta¬ 
tion.  This  was  testified  by  the  large  stalks  of  an 

1)  Travels,  4to.  p.  314.  has  here  only  the  general  word 

2)  Travels  in  Syria,  etc.  p.  for  “tree;”  and  therefore  all  spec- 

474.  ulations  as  to  the  name  of  any  par- 

3)  It  is  perhaps  hardly  neces-  ticular  plant  can  only  rest  on  air. 
sary  to  remark,  that  the  Hebrew  See  Lord  Lindsay’s  Letters,  etc.  I. 
original,  like  the  English  version,  p.  263,  seq. 


Mar.  19.] 


WADY  GHURUNDEL. 


99 


abundance  of  weeds  now  dry.  On  some  portions 
of  it  the  Terabin  sow  wheat  and  barley  after  the 
rains,  and  reap  a  good  crop.  It  was  the  only  spot  of 
soil  known  to  our  Arabs  in  these  parts.  A  few  goats 
were  feeding  upon  the  herbs  on  the  hills  around, 
watched  by  females.  From  them  we  obtained  a  sup¬ 
ply  of  milk,  for  which  we  paid  in  bread  instead  of 
money,  as  being  far  more  acceptable.  These  were 
the  first  flocks  we  had  seen  since  leaving  Cairo ;  and 
we  afterwards  saw  the  few  tents  of  the  owners,  Tera¬ 
bin  Arabs,  pitched  near  the  head  of  Wady  Ghurundel. 
We  reached  this  latter  Wady  at  4J  o’clock;  it  comes 
down  as  a  broad  valley  from  the  mountains  on  the  left, 
and  runs  from  N.  E.  to  S.  W.  to  the  sea  S.  of  Ras 
Hummarn.  The  mountain  at  its  head  is  called  Ras 
Wady  Ghurundel,  a  continuation  of  the  chain  er- 
Rahah,  which  here  bends  oflf  towards  the  S.  E.  and 
E.  where  it  afterwards  receives  the  name  et-Tih,  and 
extends  across  the  peninsula  to  the  Gulf  of  ’Akabah. 
Thus  far  our  course  all  day  had  been  about  S.  S.  E., 
but  we  now  turned  down  the  Wady  S.  W.  and  en¬ 
camped  after  half  an  hour  in  a  deep  and  narrow  part 
of  its  bed. 

Wady  Ghurundel  is  deeper  and  better  supplied 
with  bushes  and  shrubs  than  any  we  had  yet  seen ; 
and  like  Sudr  and  Wardan  it  bore  marks  of  having 
had  water  running  in  it  the  present  year.  The  Ghur- 
kud  is  very  frequent.  Straggling  trees  of  several  kinds 
are  found  in  it;  the  most  common  of  which  is  the 
Tiirfa,  a  species  of  tamarisk,  Tamarix  Galiica  manni- 
fera  of  Ehrenberg,  on  which  our  camels  browsed 
freely;  and  also  mimosas  or  acacias,  called  by  the 
Arabs  Tulh  and  Seyal.  A  few  small  palm-trees  are 
scattered  through  the  valley.  We  saw  many  of  the 
wood-ticks  mentioned  by  Burckhardt ;  but  they  did 
not  trouble  us.  About  half  an  hour  below  our  en¬ 
campment,  the  Arabs  procured  water,  as  they  said, 


100 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


from  fountains  with  a  running  brook.  It  was  brackish, 
and  of  the  same  general  character  as  that  of  all  the 
preceding  fountains,  though  less  disagreeable  than  that 
of  Hawarah.  We  kept  it  over  night  in  our  leather- 
bottles,  and  it  did  not  change  its  taste ;  though  the 
Arabs  said  it  would  grow  worse,  as  Burckhardt  also 
testifies.  When  the  rains  fail  for  two  or  three  years, 
the  brook  ceases  to  flow ;  but  water  is  always  to  be 
found  by  digging  a  little  below  the  surface. 

This  Wady  is  now  commonly  regarded  as  the  Elim 
of  Scripture,  to  which  the  Israelites  came  after  leaving 
Marah,  and  found  twelve  wells  of  water  and  seventy 
palm-trees.1  There  is  nothing  improbable  in  this  sup¬ 
position,  if  we  admit  ’Ain  Hawarah  to  be  Marah.  The 
fountains  of  Wady  Ghurundel  are  two  and  a  half 
hours,  or  nearly  half  a  day’s  journey  for  the  Israelites 
distant  from  Hawarah ;  and  are  still  one  of  the  chief 
watering-places  of  the  Arabs.  The  main  objection 
which  might  here  be  urged,  is  the  distance  from  this 
point  to  the  next  station,  where  the  Israelites  u  en¬ 
camped  by  the  Red  Sea;”2  a  fixed  and  definite  point, 
as  we  shall  see  in  the  sequel.  But  this  objection  may 
perhaps  be  evaded. 

Beyond  Wady  Ghurundel  the  mountains,  or  at 
least  a  more  mountainous  tract,  may  be  said  to  com¬ 
mence.  On  the  right  along  the  coast  in  the  S.  W.  is 
the  high  mountain  called  Jebel  Hummam,  from  the 
hot  sulphur-springs  at  its  northern  end.  On  the  left 
the  continuation  of  er-Rahah  appears,  with  several 
spurs  running  down  from  it  S.  W.  along  the  S.  side  of 
Ghurundel  and  extending  almost  to  Jebel  Hummam. 
The  whole  region  is  of  limestone  formation.  Wady 

Ghurundel  does  not  extend  up  through  the  mountains 

v  , 

1)  Ex.  xv.  27.  Num.  xxxiii.  9.  thority  of  Ehrenberg ;  see  Gese- 
We  found  no  where  any  trace  of  nius  Lex.  Hebr.  art. 
a  valley  called  ’Alim  or  Ghalim,  as  2)  Num.  xxxiii.  10. 

reported  by  Gesenius  on  the  au- 


Mar.  20.] 


WARM  SPRINGS. 


101 


on  the  left  towards  Gaza,  as  was  reported  to  Burck- 
hardt ;  but  near  its  head  another  valley,  called  W ady 
Wutah,  comes  into  it  from  the  East ;  where  the  latter 
runs  up  between  the  Till  and  a  mountain-ridge  in 
front  of  it,  called  also  Wutah.  Here  is  quite  a  retired 
valley  hemmed  in  by  mountains,  from  the  head  of 
which  a  pass  leads  over  to  the  plain  er-Ramleh ;  the 
whole  forming  a  shorter  hut  more  difficult  route  from 
Ghiirundel  to  Mount  Sinai. 

Tuesday ,  March  20th.  Niebuhr  travelled  down 
Wady  Ghuriindel  to  the  Sea,  about  two  and  a  half 
hours  from  our  encampment ;  and  then  an  hour  and  a 
half  along  the  shore  of  the  hay  called  Birket  Hum- 
mam  Far’on  to  the  hot  springs ;  which  he  and  many 
travellers  have  described.1  Thence  the  way  passes 
up  Wady  Useit.  But  the  direct  road  from  our  en¬ 
campment  in  Ghuriindel  leads  over  the  high  ground 
between  that  Wady  and  Useit.  We  took  this  course ; 
and  mounting  our  camels  at  6h  10'  soon  turned  out  of 
Wady  Ghiirundel  by  a  sort  of  gully,  and  began  to  as¬ 
cend  the  low  ridge  before  us.  On  our  right  was  Jebel 
Hummam,  extending  along  the  coast  towards  the 
South,  black,  desolate  and  picturesque.  At  6f  o’clock 
we  came  out  upon  the  higher  tract  or  plain ;  and  soon 
had  a  view  of  Jebel  Serbal,  which,  as  here  seen  in 
the  direction  of  its  ridge,  appeared  like  a  lofty  rounded 
peak,  bearing  S.  E.  by  S.  Twenty  minutes  further 
on  was  a  heap  of  stones  called  Hiisan  Abu  Zenneh, 
upon  which  one  of  our  Arabs  kicked  a  quantity  of 


1)  The  following  is  the  latest 
account  of  these  springs,  by  Riis- 
segger,  who  passed  this  way  a  few 
months  after  us.  “  These  hot 
sulphur-springs  break  out  from  the 
strata  of  lower  chalk,  nearly  on  a 
level  with  the  sea,  at  the  foot  of 
the  mountain.  The  largest  of 
them  has  a  temperature  of  55°  7 
Reaum.  that  of  the  air  being  26°  3 


Reaum.  The  water  deposites  a 
great  deal  of  common  salt  mixed 
with  sulphur ;  and  the  latter  is 
also  found  sublimated  on  the  walls 
of  the  many  caverns  connected 
with  the  fountains  and  penetrated 
by  their  hot  vapours.”  See  Berg- 
haus’  Annalen  der  Erdk.  Marz 
1839,  p.  422.  Leonhard’s  Jahr- 
buch  fur  Mineralogie,  1839,  p.  174. 


102 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


dirt,  crying  out,  as  he  said  was  their  custom,  “Feed 
the  horse  of  Abu  Zenneh.”  It  marked  the  place 
where  a  horse  once  died,  owned  by  a  person  of  that 
name.  After  another  fifteen  minutes,  we  passed  the 
small  Wady  Um  Suweilih,  where  a  branch  of  the 
lower  road  came  in  from  Abu  Suweirah.  Here  was 
a  single  acacia  or  Tulh  tree.  At  7h  55'  we  struck  a 
small  branch  Wady,  and  followed  it  down  for  half  an 
hour  to  Wady  Useit  or  Wuseit.  This  valley  resem¬ 
bles  Ghurundel,  though  not  so  large ;  and  has  a  few 
small  palm-trees  and  a  little  brackish  water  standing 
in  holes.  The  ground  in  many  parts  is  covered  with 
a  white  crust  apparently  nitrous.  This  Wady  runs 
from  E.  S.  E.  to  W.  N.  W.,  and  passing  along  the 
northern  end  of  Jebel  Hummam  reaches  the  sea  at  the 
bay  Hummam  Far’on.  Here  the  main  branch  of  the 
lower  road  by  Abu  Suweirah  and  the  hot  springs, 
comes  into  ours. 

Thus  far  our  course  was  about  S.  E. ;  but  now 
turning  S.  E.  by  S.  we  crossed  a  plain  of  some  extent 
which  takes  its  name  from  the  small  Wady  el-Ku- 
weiseh,  which  we  reached  at  10  o’clock.  On  the 
plain  our  Arabs  pointed  out  the  recent  tracks  of  a 
hyaena.  As  we  passed  on,  we  had  on  the  right  Jebel 
Hummam ;  and  on  the  left  other  smaller  ridges,  spurs 
running  out  from  et-Tih.  The  former  mountain  is 
lofty  and  precipitous,  extending  in  several  peaks  along 
the  shore ;  consisting  apparently  of  chalky  limestone 
mostly  covered  with  flints,  which  give  to  the  whole 
mountain  a  dark  aspect,  except  where  the  chalk  is 
seen.  Its  precipices  extend  quite  down  to  the  sea, 
and  cut  off  all  passage  along  the  shore  from  the  hot 
springs  to  the  mouth  of  Wady  et-Taiyibeh,  except  a 
foot-path  for  men  high  up  on  the  mountain.  This  cir¬ 
cumstance  renders  it  certain,  that  the  Israelites  must 
of  necessity  have  passed  inside  of  this  mountain  by 


Mar.  20.] 


WADY  SHUBEIKEH. 


103 


the  road  we  w^ere  now  following,  to  the  head  of  Wady 
Taiyibeh ;  for  no  other  road  exists,  or  can  exist,  in 
this  direction. 

Wady  Thai  or  Athal  followed  at  1  Of  o’clock;  run¬ 
ning  from  E.  to  W.  with  shrubs  and  acacias  and  a  few 
palm-trees ;  and  also  some  holes  with  brackish  water, 
like  Wady  Useit;  the  ground  being  likewise  covered 
with  a  nitrous  crust.  The  mountain  at  the  head  of 
this  valley  takes  the  name  of  Ras  Wady  Thai ;  and  is 
strictly  not  a  part  of  Jebel  et-Tih,  being  divided  from 
it  bv  the  Wady  Wutah  above  mentioned.  Wady 
Thai  finds  its  way  down  through  Jebel  Hummam  to 
the  sea  by  a  deep  and  narrow  ravine  ;  but  on  the  South 
of  it  there  is  still  no  road  along  the  shore.  Proceed¬ 
ing  now  on  a  course  nearly  South,  and  passing  round 
the  end  of  a  spur  running  S.  E.  from  Jebel  Hummam, 
we  came  after  a  few  rods  to  a  small  heap  of  stones  un¬ 
der  a  bank  by  the  roadside,  with  a  few  rags  scattered 
around,  which  the  Arabs  regard  as  the  tomb  of  a 
female  saint,  ’Oreis  Themman,  or  Bride  of  Themman. 
Burckhardt  says,  the  Arabs  are  in  the  habit  of  saying 
a  short  prayer  here ;  but  ours  did  not.  Crossing  a  low 
hill  we  came  at  lit  o’clock  to  Wady  Shubeikeh,  run¬ 
ning  here  nearly  South,  the  bed  of  which  we  followed. 
This  valley  has  several  branches,  which  unite  further 
down;  and  from  this  junction  of  the  many,  comes  the 
name  Shubeikeh,  “net.”  While  passing  down  this 
Wady,  our  sharp-eyed  Arabs  discovered  two  gazelles 
upon  the  high  ridge  on  the  right;  and  it  was  amusing 
to  see  with  what  eagerness  both  old  and  young  imme¬ 
diately  set  off  in  pursuit.  They  always  try  to  ap¬ 
proach  the  game  by  a  circuit  on  the  side  opposite  the 
wind;  and  having  only  guns  with  match-locks  they 
must  get  within  shot  without  disturbing  the  animal. 
This  time  they  came  back  unsuccessful.  The  beauti¬ 
ful  animals  had  seen  them  before  they  started,  and 


104 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


bounding  gracefully  over  the  hills,  had  not  suffered 
them  to  come  near.  But  it  made  quite  an  incident  in 
the  usual  monotony  of  the  way.  Here  too,  as  in  very 
many  other  instances,  we  could  not  hut  be  struck  with 
the  likeness  which  the  Bedawin  bear  to  the  American 
Indians  in  many  of  their  habits ;  especially  in  the 
unerring  sagacity  with  which  they  trace  and  recog¬ 
nise  the  shadowy  footsteps  of  persons,  and  even  of 
camels,  upon  the  surface  of  the  deserts. 

Passing  the  junction  of  the  several  branches  of 
Wady  Shubeikeh,  we  soon  came,  at  12i  o’clock,  to  an 
open  place,  where  Wady  Humr  comes  down  from  the 
E.  S.  E.,  and  joining  the  Shubeikeh,  the  two  then  form 
Wady  et-Taiyibeh,  which  passes  down  S.  W.  through 
the  mountains  to  the  sea-shore,  two  hours  distant  from 
this  spot.1  Here  the  two  roads  to  Mount  Sinai  sepa¬ 
rate  ;  the  upper  and  shorter  one,  which  we  took,  turn¬ 
ing  to  the  left  up  Wady  Humr  ;  while  the  lower  and 
easier  one  goes  down  Wady  Taiyibeh  to  the  sea.  This 
latter  Wady  is  described  as  a  fine  valley  inclosed  by 
abrupt  rocks,  with  many  trees,  and  a  little  brackish 
water  like  the  preceding  Wadys.  Where  it  reaches 
the  sea  there  is  a  high  promontory  on  the  North  ;  while 
on  the  South  the  mountains  retire,  leaving  a  sandy 
plain  with  many  shrubs,  extending  southwards  for  an 
hour  and  a  half  along  the  shore.  Then  the  mountains 
come  down  again  to  the  sea  for  about  the  same  dis¬ 
tance,  admitting  a  passage  around  them  only  at  low 
water,  while  at  other  times  travellers  must  cross  over 
them;  as  was  the  case  when  Burckhardt  passed. 
Beyond  the  mountains,  towards  the  South,  a  large 
plain  opens  along  the  shore,  in  which  at  an  hour’s 
distance  is  the  bitter  fountain  el-Murkhah.  Burck¬ 
hardt  describes  it  as  a  small  pond  in  the  sandstone 


1)  Burckhardt,  p.  625. 


Mar.  20.] 


WADY  TAIYIBEH. 


105 


rock,  near  the  foot  of  the  mountains  which  skirt  the 
plain  on  the  East.  The  taste  of  the  water  is  had ; 
owing  partly  to  the  weeds,  moss,  and  dirt,  with  which 
the  pond  is  filled;  but  chiefly,  no  doubt,  to  the  saline 
nature  of  the  soil  around  it.  Our  Arabs  however  said 
it  was  better  than  the  water  of  Hawarah.  Next  to 
Ghurundel,  it  is  the  principal  watering-place  of  the 
Arabs  on  this  road.  Burckhardt  also  mentions  a 
reservoir  of  rain-water  in  Wady  edh-Dhafary,  half  an 
hour  S.  E.  by  S.  from  el-Murkhah.  An  hour  or  more 
S.  of  this  latter  fountain  (el-Murkhah),  the  road  to 
Sinai  separates  from  that  to  Tur ;  the  latter  keeping 
along  the  coast ;  while  the  former  enters  the  moun¬ 
tains  through  Wady  Shellal,  and  so  continues  through 
Wady  Mukatteb  to  Wady  Feiran,  where  there  is 
water  and  also  cultivation.1  4 

It  has  been  already  remarked,  that  the  Israelites 
must  have  passed  from  Ghurundel  inside  of  Jebel  Hum- 
mam  to  the  head  of  Wady  et-Taiyibeh ;  and  it  must  also 
have  been  on  the  plain  at  the  mouth  of  this  valley,  that 
they  again  encamped  by  the  Red  Sea.2  The  nature  of 
the  country  shows  conclusively,  that  if  they  passed 
through  this  region  at  all,  they  must  necessarily  have 
taken  this  course,  and  had  their  encampment  at  this 
place.  From  Ghurundel  to  the  head  of  Taiyibeh  we 
found  the  distance  to  be  six  hours,  making  eight  hours  or 
sixteen  geogr.  milest  o  its  mouth ;  a  long  day’s  journey 
for  such  a  multitude.  This  is  the  objection  which  might 
be  urged  against  the  identity  of  Ghurundel  and  Elim ; 
and  might  lead  us  to  place  Elim  perhaps  in  Wady 
Useit.  Still,  as  Ghurundel  is  one  of  the  most  noted 
Arab  watering-places,  and  the  Israelites  very  probably 
would  have  rested  there  several  days ;  it  would  not  be 
difficult  for  them  for  once  to  make  a  longer  march  and 

1)  See  in  general  Burckhardt’s  2)  Num.  xxxiii.  10. 

Travels  in  Syria,  etc.  p.  623,  seq. 

Vol.  I.  14 


106 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


thus  reach  the  plain  near  the  sea.  Besides,  in  a  host 
like  that  of  the  Israelites,  consisting  of  more  than  two 
millions  of  people,  with  many  flocks,  it  can  hardly  he 
supposed  that  they  all  marched  in  one  body.  More 
probably  the  stations  as  enumerated  refer  rather  to 
the  head-quarters  of  Moses  and  the  elders,  with  a 
portion  of  the  people  who  kept  near  them  ;  while  other 
portions  preceded  or  followed  them  at  various  distan¬ 
ces,  as  the  convenience  of  water  and  pasturage  might 
dictate.  Water,  such  as  it  is,  they  would  find  in  small 
quantities  throughout  this  tract;  and  they  probably 
continued  to  practise  the  method  of  sweetening  it 
which  they  had  been  taught  at  Marah;  for  we  hear 
no  more  complaint  of  bad  water.  But  how  they  could 
have  obtained  a  sufficiency  of  water  during  their  w  hole 
stay  in  the  peninsula  and  their  subsequent  wanderings 
in  the  desert,  even  where  no  want  of  water  is  men¬ 
tioned,  is  a  mystery  which  I  am  unable  to  solve ;  unless 
we  admit  the  supposition,  that  water  was  anciently 
far  more  abundant  in  these  regions,  than  at  present. 
As  we  saw  the  peninsula,  a  body  of  two  millions  of 
men  could  not  subsist  there  a  week,  without  drawing 
their  supplies  of  water,  as  well  as  of  provisions,  from 
a  great  distance. 

From  their  encampment  at  the  mouth  of  Wady  et- 
Taiyibeh,  the  Israelites  would  necessarily  advance  into 
the  great  plain,  which,  beginning  near  el-Murkhah, 
extends  with  a  greater  or  less  breadth  almost  to  the 
extremity  of  the  peninsula.  In  its  broadest  part, 
northward  of  Tur,  it  is  called  el-Ka’a.  This  desert 
plain,  to  which  they  would  thus  necessarily  come,  I 
take  to  be  the  desert  of  Sin,  the  next  station  men¬ 
tioned  in  Scripture.1  From  this  plain  they  could  enter 
the  mountains  at  various  points,  either  by  the  present 


1)  Ex.  xvi.  1.  Num.  xxxiii.  11. 


Mar.  20.] 


WADY  HUMR. 


107 


nearer  route  through  the  Wadys  Shellal  and  Mukatteb, 
or  perhaps  by  the  mouth  of  Wady  Feiran  itself.  Their 
approach  to  Sinai  was  probably  along  the  upper  part 
of  this  latter  valley  arid  Wady  esh-Sheikh;  but  the 
two  subsequent  stations,  Dophkah  and  Alush,  are 
mentioned  so  indefinitely,  that  no  hope  remains  of 
their  ever  being  identified.1  The  same  is  perhaps 
true  of  Rephidim,  to  which  we  shall  recur  again  in 
the  sequel. 

We  were  for  a  time  quite  at  a  loss,  which  of  the 
roads  to  take  from  the  head  of  Wady  et-Taiyibeh  to 
Sinai.  We  wished  much  to  see  the  celebrated  inscrip¬ 
tions  in  Wady  Mukatteb  on  the  lower  road;  and  we 
wished  just  as  much  to  visit  the  mysterious  monu¬ 
ments  of  Surabit  el-Khadim  near  the  upper  one.  As 
we  knew,  however,  that  similar  inscriptions  existed 
along  this  latter  route,  though  not  in  such  multitudes, 
we  decided  to  take  it ;  and  turning  into  Wady  Humr 
at  a  quarter  past  noon,  we  proceeded  up  that  valley 
on  a  course  E.  S.  E.2  The  mountains  around  the 
head  of  Wady  et-Taiyibeh,  where  we  now  were, 
abound  in  salt ;  and  our  Arabs  brought  us  several 
pieces  of  it,  beautifully  white.  Wady  Humr  is  broad, 
with  precipitous  sides  of  limestone,  from  one  hundred 
to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high.  We  here  found  the 
heat  very  oppressive,  occasioned  by  the  reflection  of 
the  sun  from  the  chalky  cliffs ;  although  the  thermom¬ 
eter  in  the  shade  rose  only  to  80°  F.  W ater  had  evi¬ 
dently  been  running  here  not  long  before;  and  the 
herbs  and  shrubs  were  fresher  than  usual. 


1)  Num.  xxxiii.  12,  13. 

2)  Burckhardt  gives  the  name 
of  Taiyibeh  to  our  Wady  Shubei- 
keh ;  and  that  of  Shubeikeh  to  the 
lower  part  of  Wady  Humr.  We 
had  his  book  with  us,  and  were 
aware  of  this  difference  on  the 
spot ;  but  all  our  guides  knew  no 
other  application  of  these  names 


than  that  given  in  the  text.  I 
would  not  fail,  however,  here  and 
elsewhere,  to  bear  testimony  to 
the  extreme  general  accuracy  of 
this  lamented  traveller,  in  his  topo¬ 
graphical  details  and  descriptions. 
His  orthography  of  Arabic  names 
is  not  always  so  exact ;  yet  it  is 
all  we  have  hitherto  had. 


108 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  ID. 


After  two  hours  the  valley  opens  out  into  a  wride 
plain;  another  broad  Wady  called  Ibn  Slikr  comes 
in  obliquely  from  the  East;  while  almost  in  front 
rises  the  high  dark  pyramidal  peak  of  Sarbut  el- 
Jemel,  which  had  been  in  sight  occasionally  ever 
since  we  left  Wady  Ghurundel.  This  mountain  is 
of  limestone  and  is  connected  by  low  ridges  with 
et-Tih,  or  rather  with  Jebel  Wutah,  which  runs  in 
front  of  et-Tih  and  parallel  to  it.  A  ridge  also  appa¬ 
rently  runs  off  from  Sarbut  el-Jemel  towards  the  S. 
W.  and  bounds  the  plain  in  that  quarter.  We  struck 
across  the  plain  towards  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the  pyra¬ 
midal  mountain,  which  rose  naked  and  desolate  before 
us,  seeming  to  cut  off  all  further  progress.  Indeed  it 
was  not  till  we  arrived  almost  at  its  foot,  that  we  per¬ 
ceived  the  opening  of  a  Wady  coming  down  through 
the  ridge,  which  we  entered  and  turned  the  S.  E. 
point  of  the  mountain  at  3h  25'.  We  now  proceeded 
up  through  this  mountain-gorge,  with  lofty  walls  of 
rock  two  or  three  hundred  feet  high  on  each  side,  still 
bearing  the  name  of  Wady  Humr.  The  southern 
mountain  is  called  Um  ez-Zuweibin,  from  a  heap  of 
stones  in  the  road.  Here  we  first  entered  the  sand¬ 
stone  region ;  the  wall  upon  our  right  being  of  that 
material ;  while  that  on  the  left  was  still  apparently 
chiefly  limestone.  After  about  an  hour  we  came  (at 
4J  o’clock)  to  a  sharp  turn  at  right  angles  in  the  val¬ 
ley,  which  then  turns  short  again  and  passes  on  in 
the  same  direction  as  before.  At  the  last  of  these 
corners,  on  the  right,  we  found  several  rude  drawings 
on  the  rocks,  and  also  some  of  the  famous  Sinaite  in- 
scriptions,  like  those  of  Wady  Mukatteb.  One  large 
block  which  had  fallen  from  the  cliff  above,  was  cov¬ 
ered  with  them,  mostly  short,  and  beginning  with  the 
usual  initial  letters,  like  those  copied  by  Burckhardt 
and  others.  On  another  smaller  stone  are  rude  draw- 


Mar.  20.] 


WADY  HUMR.  INSCRIPTIONS. 


109 


ings  of  camels  or  horses ;  for  it  was  hard  to  tell  which. 
One  rider  is  armed  with  a  spear,  and  before  him  stands 
a  man  with  sword  and  shield.  Is  the  former  perhaps 
a  knight  1  On  one  stone  were  two  crosses  ;  but  in  this 
instance  they  were  evidently  later  than  the  neigh¬ 
bouring  inscriptions.  The  spot  is  one  where  travellers 
would  be  likely  to  rest  during  the  heat  of  the  midday 
sun.  Burckhardt  mentions  the  drawings,  but  not  the 
inscriptions.1 

A  little  beyond  this  place  our  Arabs  expected  to 
find  rain-water  among  the  rocks ;  and  scattered  them¬ 
selves,  running  off  into  the  different  openings  of  the 
mountains,  to  seek  for  it.  They  were  not  very  suc¬ 
cessful,  finding  but  little,  and  that  strongly  impreg¬ 
nated  with  camel’s  dung.  Yet  our  Arabs  seemed  to 
drink  it  with  gusto.  We  now  found  ourselves  in  fact 
straitened  for  water.  What  we  had  brought  from  the 
spring  Naba’  near  Suez,  had  become  much  worse  than 
at  first ;  and  since  then  we  had  met  with  none  fit  to  fill 
the  empty  water-skins.  We  had  got  tolerably  accus¬ 
tomed  to  a  leathery  taste  in  the  water  we  carried ;  but 
had  not  yet  learned  to  relish  that  which  was  briny 
and  bitter,  or  which  smacked  of  camel’s  dung.  This 
however  was  the  only  time  we  were  thus  straitened; 
nor  did  we  now  suffer  much  inconvenience.  We  en¬ 
camped  at  5h  10'  in  Wady  Humr,  after  a  long  day’s 
march  of  eleven  hours,  near  the  place  where  the  high 
rocks  on  either  side  terminate.  The  valley  has  sev¬ 
eral  trees  and  many  shrubs,  so  that  the  camels  found 
good  pasturage.  The  only  trees  throughout  this  re¬ 
gion  are  the  Turfa,  properly  a  tamarisk,  with  long 
narrow  leaves  and  without  thorns,  the  same  on  which 
the  manna  (Arabic  Monri)  is  elsewhere  found ;  and 
the  Talk  or  Seydl ,  said  by  the  Arabs  to  be  identical, 
a  species  of  very  thorny  acacia,  producing  a  little  gum 

1)  Page  476. 


no 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  IE. 


arabic  of  an  inferior  quality.1  This  the  Arabs  some¬ 
times  gather  and  sell,  when  not  too  lazy.  But  all 
these  trees  are  here  small  and  stunted,  for  the  want 
both  of  soil  and  of  water. 

Wednesday ,  March  21st .  We  setoff  at  6h  20',  still 
following  up  Wady  Humr,  E.  S.  E.  The  rocks  on 
our  right  became  lower ;  while  on  our  left  the  high 
mountain  Jebel  Wutah  rose  almost  from  the  bank  of 
the  Wady.  This  is  strictly  a  spur  of  Jebel  et-Tih, 
connected  with  it  at  the  eastern  end,  and  thence  run¬ 
ning  westward  parallel  with  it,  having  the  retired 
Wady  Wutah  between.  In  less  than  an  hour,  the 
rocks  ceased  on  the  right ;  and  at  7h  15'  a  road  turned 
off  on  that  side  to  Wady  en-Nusb,  across  an  uneven 
sandy  plain  called  Debbet  en-Nusb.  This  road  is 
often  taken  by  the  Arabs  and  by  travellers  on  account 
of  the  fine  spring  of  water  in  that  valley ;  but  it  is 
longer,  and  returns  after  some  hours  into  the  direct 
road.  One  or  two  of  our  men  with  a  camel  were  sent 
round  by  this  route,  in  order  to  fill  the  water-skins ; 
and  they  brought  us  a  load  of  better  water  than  we 
had  found  since  leaving  the  Nile.  Wady  Humr  now 
spreads  out  into  a  broad  plain  sprinkled  over  with 
herbs,  extending  around  the  E.  end  of  Jebel  Wutah 
quite  to  et-Tih.  At  8  o’clock  the  valley  became  nar¬ 
rower  between  sand-hills  for  half  an  hour ;  but  then 
opened  again  as  before.  At  9  o’clock  we  reached  the 
head  of  the  Wady  or  plain,  whence  we  ascended  for 
twenty  minutes  a  rocky  slope  covered  with  sand. 

From  this  spot  we  had  a  wide  view  over  the  sur¬ 
rounding  country.  On  our  left  was  the  Tih,  a  long, 
lofty,  level,  unbroken  ridge,  the  continuation  of  er- 

1)  This  tree  is  the  Mimosa  and  is  called  by  Abdallatif  Tulh ; 
Sejal  of  Forskal;  Flora  A  eg.  Sprengel  Hist.  Rei  Herbar.  I.  p. 
Arab.  p.  177.  By  later  botanists  270. 
it  is  known  as  Acacia  gummifera, 


Mar.  21.] 


JEBEL  ET-TIH.  PASSES. 


Ill 


Rahah,  stretching  off  eastward  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  apparently  of  limestone.  On  our  right  and  be¬ 
fore  us,  along  the  foot  of  the  Till,  lay  an  uneven  sandy 
plain,  several  miles  in  breadth,  full  of  low  broken  ridges 
and  water-courses.  This  sandy  plain  extends,  as  we 
afterwards  found,  through  the  whole  interior  of  the  pen¬ 
insula,  almost  to  the  eastern  coast.  It  lies  between 
the  Tih  and  the  proper  mountains  of  the  peninsula, 
which  rose  on  our  right  in  fantastic  shapes  and  wild 
confusion.  Those  adjacent  to  the  plain  are  of  sand¬ 
stone,  cut  up  by  deep  vallies  and  ravines,  into  which 
the  shallow  Wadys  which  descend  from  the  Tih  across 
the  plain,  enter  and  find  their  way  down  to  the  sea. 
Further  South  is  a  belt  of  griinstein  and  porphyry ; 
and  then  the  centre  of  the  peninsula  is  occupied  by 
large  masses  of  granite,  constituting  the  proper  moun¬ 
tains  of  Sinai  itself.  We  could  here  see  the  pass  lead¬ 
ing  over  between  et-Tih  and  Jebel  Wiitah  into  Wady 
Wutah,  and  so  down  to  Wady  Ghurimdel.  It  bore 
from  us  N.  20°  W.  In  the  long  ridge  of  the  Tih  itself, 
which  our  Arabs  said  takes  this  general  name  from 
the  high  desert  on  its  northern  side,  they  pointed  out 
two  passes,  through  which  caravan-roads  lead  from 
Sinai  to  Gaza  and  Hebron.  The  westernmost  (still 
some  hours  E.  of  where  we  stood)  is  called  er-Rakineh, 
and  the  other  el-Mureikhy.  Between  them  is  a  third, 
called  el-Wtirsah,  used  only  by  the  Arabs,  being  too 
steep  and  difficult  for  loaded  caravans.  From  it  a 
Wady  of  the  same  name  descends  southwards  across 
the  plain  to  Wady  Nusb,  and  is  probably  the  Warsan 
mentioned  by  Niebuhr.1  Still  further  East,  Jebel  et- 
Tih  divides  into  two  ridges,  which  then  run  nearly 
parallel,  at  the  distance  of  several  hours  from  each 
other,  to  the  Gulf  of  ’Akabah.  So  far  as  we  could 


1)  Reisebeschr.  I.  p.  231. 


112 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


learn,  the  southern  branch  is  at  first  called  edh-Dhu- 
lull,  and  the  northern  one  in  its  western  part,  el- 
’Ojmeh.  A  road  leads  from  Sinai  by  a  pass  over  the 
southern  ridge  to  the  head  of  Wady  ez-  Zulakah  and 
’Ain  ;*  and  thence  by  another  pass  over  the  northern 
ridge  to  Gaza  and  Hebron. 

Proceeding  over  this  plain  in  a  direction  E.  S.  E. 
before  coming  upon  the  sand  we  crossed  several  shal¬ 
low  Wadys,  studded  with  shrubs,  all  flowing  towards 
Wady  Nusb.  One  of  them,  at  10  o’clock,  was  called 
Wady  Beda\  Beyond  this,  on  the  right,  are  three 
springs  of  brackish  water,  called  el-Malih.  Crossing 
a  low  ridge  at  10h  45',  we  got  our  first  view  of  the 
granite  peaks  around  Sinai,  still  indistinct  and  name¬ 
less  ;  bearing  S.  S.  E.  while  Serbal  at  the  same  time 
bore  S.  by  E.  Here  we  came  upon  the  great  sandy 
tract,  which  we  had  seen  before,  called  by  the  Arabs 
Debbet  er-Ramleh,  and  also,  according  to  Burckhardt, 
Rami  el-Murak,  extending  eastward  further  than  the 
eye  could  reach.  Among  the  sandstone  mountains  on 
our  right,  the  site  of  Siirabit  el-Khadim  had  already 
been  pointed  out  to  us;  and  at  11 J  o’clock  we  turned 
off  to  the  right  on  a  course  nearly  S.  to  visit  it;  leav¬ 
ing  our  servants  and  loaded  animals  to  follow  the 
direct  road  to  the  head  of  Wady  el-Khumileh,  and 
encamp  a  short  distance  within  that  valley. 

In  about  half  an  hour  we  descended  into  a  broad 
sandy  valley,  called  Seih  en-Nusb,  which  runs  S.  W. 
along  the  mountains  and  enters  them  obliquely,  having 
several  branches  coming  in  also  from  the  East  and  S. 
E.  In  one  of  these  we  crossed  about  noon  the  other 
road,  coming  up  from  the  fountain  in  Wady  Nusb,  of 


1)  This  pass  is  mentioned  by 
Laborde,  who  asserts  it  to  be  the 
only  pass  or  road  leading  over  et- 
Tih.  Voyage  en  Arab.  Petr.  p. 
63.  Engl.  ed.  p.  226.  Sir  F.  Hen- 


niker  passed  by  way  of  er-Rakineh  j 
as  also  Breydenbach  and  Fabri  in 
1484. — A  special  Itinerary  of  all 
these  routes  is  given  in  Note 
XXII,  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 


Mar.  21.] 


SURABIT  EL-KHADIM. 


113 


which  the  Seih  is  the  principal  head.  This  path 
passes  on  eastward  up  a  sandy  hill  called  el-Mtirak, 
and  joins  the  direct  road  still  upon  the  plain.  Our 
way  led  across  the  same  hill  of  sand,  hut  further  to 
the  right ;  and  we  found  the  ascent  very  toilsome  from 
the  depth  and  looseness  of  the  sand ;  there  being  no 
trace  of  a  path.  Descending  again  we  reached  a  broad 
sandy  valley,  called  Wady  Siiwuk,  running  from  S. 
E.  to  N.  W.  within  the  skirts  of  the  mountains  into 
Wady  Nush.  On  the  further  side  of  this  valley  we 
left  our  camels  at  half  past  1  o’clock,  and  crossing  on 
foot  a  ridge  of  deep  sand  towards  the  West  into  a 
rocky  ravine,  we  began  the  difficult  ascent  of  the 
mountain  at  its  S.  E.  end. 

The  mountain  may  he  some  six  or  seven  hundred 
feet  high ;  and  is  composed  entirely  of  precipitous 
sandstone  rock,  mostly  red,  hut  alternating  occasion¬ 
ally  with  strata  of  different  shades.  A  track  leads 
up  the  toilsome  and  somewhat  dangerous  ascent,  along 
the  face  of  the  precipice  at  the  head  of  the  ravine, 
marked  only  by  small  heaps  of  stones.  Climbing 
slowly  and  with  difficulty  to  the  top,  we  found  our¬ 
selves  at  the  end  of  three  quarters  of  an  hour  upon  a 
level  ridge,  connected  with  a  tract  of  high  table-land 
of  sandstone  formation,  much  resembling  the  Saxon 
Switzerland,  and  like  it  intersected  in  every  direction 
by  deep  precipitous  ravines;  while  higher  peaks  of 
irregular  and  fantastic  form  lay  all  around  us.  A  short 
distance  westward,  on  this  ridge,  with  a  deep  chasm 
upon  either  side,  are  situated  the  singular  and  myste¬ 
rious  monuments  of  Surabit  el-Khadim. 

These  lie  mostly  within  the  compass  of  a  small 
enclosure,  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  long  from  E.  to 
W.  by  seventy  feet  broad,  marked  by  heaps  of  stones 
thrown  or  fallen  together,  the  remains  perhaps  of  for¬ 
mer  walls  or  rows  of  low  buildings.  Within  this 
Vol.  I.  15 


114 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


space  are  seen  about  fifteen  upright  stones,  like  tomb¬ 
stones,  and  several  fallen  ones,  covered  with  Egyptian 
hieroglyphics ;  and  also  the  remains  of  a  small  tem¬ 
ple,  whose  columns  are  decorated  with  the  head  of 
Isis  for  a  capital.  At  the  eastern  end  is  a  subterranean 
chamber  excavated  in  the  solid  rock,  resembling  an 
Egyptian  sepulchre.  It  is  square ;  and  the  roof  is 
supported  in  the  middle  by  a  square  column  left  from 
the  rock.  Both  the  column  and  the  sides  of  the 
chamber  are  covered  with  hieroglyphics ;  and  in  each 
of  the  sides  is  a  small  niche.  The  whole  surface  of 
the  enclosure  is  covered  with  fallen  columns,  fragments 
of  sculpture,  and  hewn  stones  strewn  in  every  direc¬ 
tion  ;  over  which  the  pilgrim  can  with  difficulty  find 
his  way.  Other  similar  upright  stones  stand  without 
the  enclosure  in  various  directions,  and  even  at  some 
distance ;  each  surrounded  by  a  heap  of  stones,  which 
may  have  been  thrown  together  by  the  Arabs.  These 
upright  stones  both  within  and  without  the  enclosure, 
vary  from  about  seven  to  ten  feet  in  height ;  while 
they  are  from  eighteen  inches  to  two  feet  in  breadth, 
and  from  fourteen  to  sixteen  inches  in  thickness. 
They  are  rounded  off  on  the  top,  forming  an  arch  over 
the  broadest  sides.  On  one  of  these  sides  usually  ap¬ 
pears  the  common  Egyptian  symbol  of  the  winged 
globe  with  two  serpents,  and  one  or  more  priests  pre¬ 
senting  offerings  to  the  gods ;  while  various  figures 
and  cartouches  cover  the  remaining  sides.  They  are 
said  to  bear  the  names  of  different  Egyptian  kings ; 
but  no  two  of  them  to  have  the  name  of  the  same 
monarch.  According  to  Major  Felix,  the  name  of 
Osirtisen  I.  is  found  on  one  of  them,  whom  Wilkinson 
supposes  to  have  been  the  patron  of  Joseph.  Not  the 
least  singularity  about  these  monuments,  is  the  wonder¬ 
ful  preservation  of  the  inscriptions  upon  this  soft  sand¬ 
stone,  exposed  as  they  have  been  to  the  air  and  weather 


Mar.  21.] 


SURABIT  EL-KHADIM. 


115 


during  the  lapse  of  so  many  ages.  On  some  of  the 
stones  they  are  quite  perfect ;  on  others  both  the  in¬ 
scription  and  the  stone  itself  have  been  worn  away 
deeply  by  the  tooth  of  time. 

This  spot  was  first  discovered  by  Niebuhr  in  1761, 
who,  inquiring  for  the  inscriptions  of  Wady  el-Mukat- 
teb,  was  brought  by  his  guides  to  this  place  as  one  of 
still  greater  interest  and  wonder  ;  or  rather,  as  it  would 
seem,  from  ignorance  on  their  part  of  the  real  object 
of  his  inquiries.1  The  next  Frank  visiter  appears  to 
have  been  the  French  traveller  Boutin  in  1811,  who 

was  afterwards  murdered  in  Syria ;  and  he  was  fol- 

0/  * 

lowed  by  Ruppell  in  1817.2  Many  other  travellers 
have  since  been  here  on  their  way  to  Sinai.  So  Lord 
Prudhoeand  Major  Felix  ;  and  after  them  Laborde  and 
Linant,  who  have  given  drawings  and  views  of  the 
place  and  several  of  the  monuments.3  All  these  tra¬ 
vellers,  with  the  exception  of  the  two  Englishmen, 
have  pronounced  this  to  be  an  ancient  Egyptian  ceme¬ 
tery,  and  these  monuments  to  be  tombstones,  connected 
with  a  supposed  colony  near  the  copper  mines  in  Wady 
en-Nusb.  That  these  upright  stones  resemble  the 
tombstones  of  the  West  in  form,  is  true ;  and  this 
would  seem  to  be  the  chief  circumstance  which  has 
given  rise  to  the  hypothesis.  There  is  nothing  of  the 
kind  in  Egypt ;  nor  can  they  well  be  sepulchral  mon¬ 
uments,  unless  excavated  tombs  exist  beneath  them ; 
which  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  is  not  the  case. 
What  then  could  have  been  the  intent  of  these  tem¬ 
ples  and  these  memorial-stones  in  the  midst  of  solitude 
and  silence?  in  this  lone  and  distant  desert,  with 
which  they  would  seem  to  have  no  possible  connec- 

1)  Reisebeschr.  I.  p.  235.  3)  The  most  exact  description 

2)  Burckhardt’s  Travels  in  Sy-  is  by  Riippell,  as  cited  in  the  pre- 
ria,  etc.  p.  573.  RuppelPs  Reisen  ceding  note. 

in  Nubien,  etc.  p.  267. 


116 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


tion  ?  This  is  a  point  wrapped  in  the  darkness  of  time, 
which  the  hand  of  modern  science  has  not  yet  unveiled. 

An  ingenious  hypothesis  was  mentioned  to  me 
by  the  English  nobleman  named  above,  viz.  that  this 
was  perhaps  a  sacred  place  of  pilgrimage  for  the 
ancient  Egyptians,  just  as  the  mountain  near  Mecca 
is  to  the  Muhammedans  at  the  present  day ;  and  to  it 
the  Egyptian  kings  made  each  his  pilgrimage  and 
erected  a  column  with  his  name.  A  slight  historical 
ground  for  such  an  hypothesis,  may  perhaps  be  found 
in  the  fact,  that  Moses  demanded  permission  for  the 
Israelites  to  go  three  days’  journey  into  the  desert  in 
order  to  sacrifice,1 — a  demand  which  seems  to  have 
caused  no  surprise  to  the  Egyptians,  as  if  it  were 
something  to  which  they  were  themselves  accustomed. 
Still  all  this  can  claim  to  be  nothing  more  than  con¬ 
jecture.  Yet  this  lone  spot,  although  inexplicable,  is 
deeply  interesting  ;  it  leads  the  beholder  back  into  the 
gray  mists  of  high  antiquity ;  and  fills  him  with  won¬ 
der  and  awe  as  he  surveys  here,  far  from  the  abodes 
of  life,  the  labours  of  men  unknown  for  an  object  alike 
unknown. 

From  the  high  tract  about  Surabit  el-Khadim, 
there  is  a  wide  view  of  the  surrounding  country.2 
We  saw  no  traces  of  mines  around  the  place,  as 
mentioned  by  Laborde ;  but  our  Arabs  said  that  to¬ 
wards  the  West  in  Wady  Suhau,  a  branch  of  Wady 
en-Nusb,  was  found  the  stone  from  which  el-Kuhal 
is  made  and  carried  to  market.  We  suppose  this  to 
be  antimony  ;  though  we  saw  none  of  it. 

After  spending  an  hour  and  a  quarter  among  these 


1)  Ex.  viii.  27,  28.  [23,  24,  Heb.] 
The  object  of  this  journey  was  to 
be  a  ‘festival’  (^n),  correspond¬ 
ing  to  t  he  modern  Ilaj  of  the  Mu- 
hammedans.  Ex.  x.  9. 


2)  The  pass  of  Wut&h  bore  N. 
30°  W. ;  er-Rakineh  N.  20°  E. ; 
Mount  Serb&l  S.  16°  E.,  and  Mu- 
dha’in,  a  peak  in  the  cluster  of 
Sinai,  S.  33°  E. 


Mar.  21.] 


WADY  EL-KHUMILEH. 


117 


monuments,  we  descended  again  by  the  same  rugged 
path,  and  returned  to  our  camels  in  Wady  Suwuk. 
From  this  point  to  the  fountain  of  Nusb  is  a  distance 
of  about  two  and  a  half  hours  ;  and  the  Wady  Nusb, 
having  collected  its  numerous  branches,  then  finds  its 
way  through  the  mountains  to  the  western  Gulf,  or 
rather  to  the  great  plain  along  the  coast.  In  the  val¬ 
ley  a  flock  of  sheep  and  goats  were  feeding,  tended  by 
two  young  girls,  whose  tents  were  not  far  off.  The 
owner  of  the  flock  soon  made  his  appearance ;  and 
after  some  chaffering  we  bought  a  kid,  intending  to 
give  our  Arabs  a  good  supper.  Mounting  at  4i  o’clock, 
we  proceeded  S.  E.  up  Wady  Suwuk  to  its  head.  One 
of  the  Arabs  led  the  kid  by  a  string,  and  as  the  poor 
animal  trotted  nimbly  by  their  side,  they  were  elated 
at  the  thought  of  the  savoury  meat  in  prospect.  As 
we  passed  along  the  valley,  our  sharp-sighted  guides 
discovered  a  Beden  or  mountain-goat  (related  to  the 
Steinbock  of  the  Alps)  among  the  rocks  on  our  left. 
One  of  them  immediately  started  in  pursuit ;  but  as 
he  could  approach  only  on  the  windward  side,  the 
goat  scented  him,  and  dashed  lightly  along  the  side 
and  up  the  face  of  the  precipice,  presenting  a  graceful 
object  against  the  sky  with  his  long  recurved  horns 
and  bounding  leaps.  The  Arab  began  to  mount  after 
him  with  great  agility,  but  was  called  back  by  his 
companions.  At  the  head  of  the  valley  is  a  steep  and 
rugged  pass,  which  our  camels  mounted  with  diffi¬ 
culty  ;  and  here  we  saw  the  first  strata  of  grtinstein. 
On  reaching  the  top,  we  found  ourselves  upon  the 
western  ridge  of  Wady  el-Klmmileh,  a  broad  sandy 
tract,  thus  far  a  mere  arm  of  the  great  plain  extending 
towards  the  S.  E.  into  the  mountains.  Our  tent  stood 
below  in  the  valley ;  and  passing  down  by  a  gradual 
descent,  we  reached  it  at  three  quarters  past  5  o’clock. 
The  Greek  priests  who  had  kept  near  us  since  Sun- 


118 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


day,  had  passed  on  some  distance  beyond;  and  we 
saw  them  no  more  until  we  reached  the  Convent. 

The  poor  kid  was  now  let  loose,  and  ran  Ideating 
into  our  tent  as  if  aware  of  its  coming  fate.  All  was 
activity  and  bustle  to  prepare  the  coming  feast ;  the 
kid  was  killed  and  dressed  with  great  dexterity  and 
despatch  ;  and  its  still  quivering  members  were  laid 
upon  the  fire  and  began  to  emit  savoury  odours,  par¬ 
ticularly  gratifying  to  Arab  nostrils.  But  now  a 
change  came  over  the  fair  scene.  The  Arabs  of 
whom  we  had  bought  the  kid,  had  in  some  way  learned 
that  we  were  to  encamp  near;  and  naturally  enough 
concluding  that  the  kid  was  bought  in  order  to  be 
eaten,  they  thought  good  to  honour  our  Arabs  with  a 
visit,  to  the  number  of  five  or  six  persons.  Now  the 
stern  law  of  Bedawin  hospitality  demands,  that  when¬ 
ever  a  guest  is  present  at  a  meal,  whether  there  be 
much  or  little,  the  first  and  best  portion  must  be  laid 
before  the  stranger.  In  this  instance  the  five  or  six 
guests  attained  their  object,  and  had  not  only  the 
selling  of  the  kid,  but  also  the  eating  of  it ;  while  our 
poor  Arabs,  whose  mouths  had  long  been  watering 
with  expectation,  were  forced  to  take  up  with  the 
fragments.  Besharah,  who  played  the  host,  fared 
worst  of  all ;  and  came  afterwards  to  beg  for  a  biscuit, 
saying  he  had  lost  the  whole  of  his  dinner. 

Thursday ,  March  22nd.  Starting  at  o’clock, 
we  continued  down  Wady  Khumileh  on  a  S.  E.  course. 
It  is  wide,  with  many  shrubs  and  with  rocks  of  sand¬ 
stone  on  each  side.  In  fifteen  minutes  we  came  to  a 
rock  on  the  right  hand  covered  with  Sinaite  inscrip¬ 
tions,  figures  of  camels,  mountain-goats,  and  the 
like.  Five  minutes  further  is  another  large  rock  on 
the  same  side  with  inscriptions,  and  several  crosses 
apparently  of  the  same  age.  Here  are  also  inscribed 
the  names  of  several  travellers ;  one  is  Pcilerne:  1582, 


Mar.  22.] 


ARAB  FEAST.  WADY  EL-BURK. 


119 


perfectly  fresh.  The  Wady  gradually  contracts  and 
grows  deeper ;  and  at  8  o’clock  we  came  to  the  spot 
where  it  turns  a  sharp  angle  to  the  W.  N.  W.  through 
a  narrow  ravine,  and  passes  by  itself  to  the  sea,  as  our 
Arabs  said,  (probably  under  another  name,)  receiving 
Wady  Mukatteb  on  the  way.  We  still  kept  on  the 
same  course,  ascending  a  branch  Wady  for  twenty 
minutes  to  a  small  plain,  forming  the  water-shed  be¬ 
tween  it  and  a  similar  short  Wady  running  S,  11.  to 
the  Seih.  On  this  little  plain  is  a  lone  Arab  burial- 
ground,  called  Mukberat  esh-Sheikh  Ahmed,  where 
all  the  Bedawin,  who  die  in  the  vicinity,  are  buried. 
A  few  stones  rudely  piled  together,  or  set  up  singly, 
serve  to  mark  the  graves;  and  there  was  one  new 
grave.  All  around  was  silence  and  solitude,  with 
nothing  to  disturb  this  wild  abode  of  the  dead. 

Half  an  hour  more  brought  us  to  Wady  es-Seih, 
which  here  comes  down  from  the  S.  E.  and  turning  more 
to  the  W.  runs  on  to  join  Wady  Khumileh  further  down. 
The  sandstone  rocks  had  already  began  to  give  place 
to  grunstein  and  porphyry.  Passing  up  Wady  Seih 
we  came  at  9  o’clock  to  an  open  place  among  precip¬ 
itous  hills  of  porphyry  and  granite,  disintegrated  and 
shattered,  where  several  Wadys  unite  and  flow  off 
through  Wady  Seih.  Here  the  mountains  begin  to 
assume  features  of  grander  and  sterner  desolation. 
We  entered  the  mouth  of  Wady  el-Burk  on  a  course 
S.  by  W.  for  half  an  hour,  when  it  turned  S.  S.  E. 
Here  at  the  angle  are  a  few  short  inscriptions,  quite 
near  the  ground.  The  valley  is  narrow,  and  its  bed 
covered  with  debris  from  the  adjacent  mountains, — 
loose  stones  and  fragments  of  rocks  spread  over  the 
surface  and  rendering  the  way  difficult  and  painful 
for  the  camels.  These  rocks  are  chiefly  granite  and 
porphyry,  intermixed  with  grunstein.  This  valley, 
as  well  as  the  open  place  we  had  passed,  had  an  un- 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


120 


[Sec.  III. 


usual  number  of  Seyal  trees,  the  largest  we  had  yet 
seen. 

In  this  valley  the  camel  of  my  companion  gave  out ; 
and  he  was  compelled  to  mount  another,  after  its  load 
had  been  distributed  among  the  rest.  The  camel  be¬ 
longed  to  Besharah,  who  had  paid  eleven  Spanish 
dollars  for  it  the  year  before;  a  low  price,  as  the 
animal  probably  had  been  already  broken  down.  We 
were  told  that  many  camels  had  died  in  the  peninsula 
the  present  year,  owing  chiefly  to  the  excessive 
drought ;  there  having  been  but  little  rain  (or  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  Arab  mode  of  speech,  none)  for  now  two 
seasons.  There  was  of  course  great  distress  among 
all  the  Bedawin,  as  we  had  occasion  enough  to  learn 
afterwards  for  ourselves.  The  wearied  camel  was 
left  in  charge  of  a  boy  to  follow  at  a  slower  pace ;  and 
we  proceeded  on  our  way.  The  occurrence  detained 
us.  for  nearly  half  an  hour. 

A  side  valley  called  Ibn  Sukr  came  in  from  the 
left  at  10b  45',  in  which  there  is  good  water  at  a  little 
distance.  Half  an  hour  further  on,  a  rude  stone-wall 
or  breast-work  crossed  the  valley,  marking  the  scene 
of  one  of  the  most  important  events  in  the  history  of 
the  Tawarah.  The  story  was  told  us  with  great  ani¬ 
mation  by  Besharah,  who  was  himself  present  at  the 
time.  Formerly  the  carrying  of  goods  between  Cairo 
and  Suez  belonged  of  right  to  the  Tawarah,  or,  in  oc¬ 
cidental  phrase,  was  a  monopoly  of  theirs.  But  several 
years  ago  the  merchants  began  to  employ  also  the 
Ma’azeh  and  Haweitat,  to  the  great  annoyance  of  the 
Tawarah,  inasmuch  as  it  took  from  them  a  source  of 
support  and  distressed  them.  To  recompense  them¬ 
selves  for  this  outrage,  the  tribes  all  combined,  and 
plundered  a  large  caravan  of  several  hundred  camels 
laden  with  coffee  and  other  merchandise,  between 
Suez  and  Cairo,  bringing  home  to  their  mountains  a 


Mar.  22.] 


DEFEAT  OF  THE  TAWARAH. 


121 


rich  booty  of  coffee,  wares,  and  camels.  The  Pasha 
sent  to  demand  hack  the  plunder.  They  meantime 
had  revelled  in  their  spoils,  and  eaten  up  or  disposed 
of  the  whole ;  and  their  laconic  answer  was :  u  We 
were  hungry  and  have  eaten.”  The  Pasha  immedi¬ 
ately  despatched  a  force  of  two  or  three  thousand  men 
against  them.  The  Arabs  gathered  at  this  place  and 
built  a  wall,  expecting  the  troops  to  come  along  the 
valley.  But  the  latter  divided  and  climbed  along  the 
tops  of  the  mountains  on  each  side  in  order  to  get 
round  the  Arabs ;  who  of  course  were  compelled  to 
meet  them  on  these  heights ;  and  they  now  pointed 
out  to  us  the  places  on  the  summits  of  these  rugged 
ridges,  where  the  battle  was  fought.  Almost  as  a 
matter  of  course,  the  Tawarah  were  routed  with  little 
slaughter ;  the  troops  marched  to  the  Convent ;  the 
chief  Sheikh  came  and  surrendered ;  and  peace  was 
granted  on  condition  of  their  paying  the  expenses  of 
the  war.  Since  that  time,  the  Tawarah  have  remained 
in  quiet  subjection  to  the  Pasha.1 

We  reached  the  top  of  the  pass  at  the  head  of 
Wady  Burk  at  a  quarter  past  noon;  and  immediately 
descended  along  a  gully  for  twenty-five  minutes,  when 
we  reached  Wady  ’Akir,  which,  coming  down  from  be¬ 
fore  us,  here  entered  the  mountains  on  our  right,  flowing 
off  into  the  great  Wady  Feiran.  This  valley  we  now 
followed  up  on  a  course  S.  E.  by  S.  Here  the  colo- 
quintida  (colocynthus)  was  growing,  with  its  yellow 
fruit  already  ripe.  At  first  the  valley  is  narrow,  but 
gradually  grows  wider.  At  o’clock,  the  mouth  of 
Wady  Kineh  was  pointed  out,  coming  in  from  the  S. 

1)  Laborde  relates  the  same  Mecca.  This  is  probably  an  error, 
story,  as  having  occurred  several  Voyage  en  Arab.  Petr.  p.  72. 

Sears  before  his  journey  in  1828.  Engl.  p.  264. 

[e  makes  it  refer  to  the  caravan  2)  Cucumis  colocynthus  of  Lin- 
of  the  Haj  on  its  return  from  nseus ;  in  Arabic  Handhal. 

Vol.  I.  16 


122 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


E.  through  the  ridge  on  our  left.  Above  this  point  the 
Wady  we  were  in,  loses  the  name  ’Akir,  and  takes 
that  of  el-Lebweh,  from  a  pass  before  us  at  its  head. 
The  two  Wadys  Lcbweh  and  Kin  eh  are  parallel  to 
each  other ;  both  spread  out  into  wide  plains ;  the  ridge 
between  them  in  some  parts  almost  disappears ;  so 
that  in  several  places  they  run  together  and  form  one 
great  sloping  plain  several  miles  in  breadth,  covered 
with  tufts  of  herbs,  chiefly  ’Abeithiran,  but  no  trees  ; 
furnishing  abundant  pasturage  in  seasons  when  rain 
falls.  In  the  upper  part  of  the  plain  of  Wady  Kineh 
there  is  water ;  and  Sheikh  Salih,  the  head  Sheikh  of 
the  Tawarah,  with  a  part  of  his  tribe,  was  encamped 
not  far  off,  in  sight  of  our  road.  The  two  vallies 
separate  again ;  and  near  the  pass  at  the  head  of  el- 
Lebweh  is  a  sharp  isolated  peak  on  the  left,  called  Zub 
el-Bahry. 

The  pass  itself  is  a  mere  continuation  of  the 
plain,  a  broad  water-shed,  rising  very  gradually  on 
one  side  and  descending  as  gradually  on  the  other. 
Burckhardt  has  noticed  this  as  a  peculiar  conformation 
of  the  mountain  ranges  of  the  peninsula ;  “  the  vallies 
reaching  to  the  very  summits,  where  they  form  a  plain, 
and  thence  descending  on  the  other  side.”1  But  the 
same  general  feature  exists  in  the  great  Wady  el- 
’Arabah,  and  in  various  parts  of  Palestine.  We  reach¬ 
ed  the  plain  at  the  top  of  the  ascent  at  3i  o’clock, 
where  is  a  small  Arab  cemetery.  The  surface  soon 
begins  to  slope  towards  the  S.  and  opens  out  to  an 
extensive  plain  with  many  shrubs,  forming  the  head 
of  Wady  Berah  and  surrounded  by  pe^ks  of  moderate 


1)  Travels  in  Syria,  etc.  pp.  483, 
484.  Burckhardt  gives  the  name 
el-Lebweh  to  the  pass  at  the  head 
of  Wady  Burk  ;  but  our  Arabs  on 
being  questioned  were  very  posi¬ 


tive  that  this  was  not  the  case,  and 
said  that  Lebweh  was  the  name  of 
three  different  passes  at  and  near 
the  head  of  the  Wadys  Lebweh 
and  Kineh. 


Mar.  22.] 


WADY  BERAH.  INSCRIPTIONS. 


123 


height.  A  long,  high,  dark-looking  mountain  was 
pointed  out  to  us,  called  ez-Zebir,  bearing  S.  about 
two  hours  distant ;  on  the  top  of  which  there  was  said 
to  be  table-land  and  pasturage  for  camels.  Passing 
down  the  plain  on  the  same  course  as  before  (S.  E. 
by  S.)  we  came  at  4  o’clock  to  its  S.  E.  part,  where  it 
contracts  between  noble  granite  cliffs  ;  and  entering 
Wady  Berah  for  a  short  distance,  we  encamped  at 
4h  15'  on  its  western  side.  The  rocks  on  both  sides 
of  this  valley  presented  everywhere  surfaces  so  well 
adapted  for  inscriptions,  that  leaving  my  companions 
to  follow  down  the  right  side,  1  struck  across  to  the 
left.  Here  on  a  large  rock  I  found  four  short  inscrip¬ 
tions  in  the  usual  unknown  character.  Over  the 
longest  of  them  was  a  cross,  evidently  of  the  same 
date.  Just  by  our  tent  was  also  a  huge  detached 
rock  covered  with  similar  inscriptions  much  oblitera¬ 
ted.  Here  were  two  crosses,  apparently  of  later  date, 
or  else  retouched. 

This  evening  our  Arabs  again  brought  us  good 
water  from  a  spring  in  the  small  Wady  Retameh, 
which  enters  the  Berah  opposite  our  encampment. 
They  had  shown  themselves  every  day  more  and  more 
obliging ;  and  commonly  took  as  active  a  part  in  pitch¬ 
ing  the  tent  and  arranging  the  luggage  for  the  night, 
as  our  servants.  In  all  these  matters,  our  resolute 
Komeh  was  master  and  director,  and  made  the  Arabs 
do  his  bidding.  He  found  the  less  difficulty  in  this, 
as  being  cook  and  purveyor  he  knew  how  to  distribute 
the  fragments  in  his  department  with  great  nicety  and 
discrimination;  so  that  it  was  an  object  of  some  impor¬ 
tance  to  a  hungry  Bedawy  to  keep  on  good  terms  with 
him. 

Among  the  many  plants  we  had  noted  on  this  and 
the  preceding  days,  some  of  the  most  frequent  besides 
the  ’  Abeithiran  were  the  Rctcm ,  a  species  of  the  broom- 


124 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


plant,  Genista  raetam  of  Forskal,1  with  small  whitish 
variegated  blossoms,  growing  in  the  water-courses  of 
the  Wadys;  the  Kirdhy ,  a  green  thorny  plant  with 
small  yellow  flowers,  which  our  camels  cropped  with 
avidity;  the  Silleh ,  apparently  the  Zilla  myagrioides 
of  Forskal  ;2  the  Skill  or  Artemisia  Judaica  of  Spren- 
gel ;  and  the  ’ Ajram ,  from  which  the  Arabs  obtain  a 
substitute  for  soap,  by  pounding  it  when  dry  between 
stones,  and  mixing  it  with  the  water  in  which  they 
wash  their  linen. 

Friday ,  March  23 d.  We  set  off  again  at  6h  25; 
down  Wady  Berah,  our  course  being  S.  S.  E.-gE.  We 
had  ever  wished  to  set  off  earlier  in  the  morning,  than 
we  had  yet  been  able  to  do.  The  Arabs  were  never  in 
a  hurry  to  break  up ;  and  this  morning  especially  they 
were  occupied  with  Besharah’s  camel,  which  had  come 
up  late  at  evening,  and  was  now  sent  home  to  their 
encampment.  As  we  were  approaching  Sinai,  and  no 
longer  needed  to  carry  a  load  of  water,  this  caused  us 
little  inconvenience.  But  let  us  rise  as  early  as  we 
would,  we  found  it  difficult  to  start  under  an  hour  and 
a  half  or  two  hours.  It  was  decidedly  a  saving  of  time, 
on  the  whole,  to  breakfast  before  setting  off,  rather 
than  stop  on  our  way  for  that  purpose ;  and  this  with 
the  delay  of  packing  the  utensils  and  tent,  and  loading 
the  camels,  always  made  our  departure  later  than  the 
time  appointed. 

As  we  proceeded  down  the  valley,  the  rocks  on  the 
right  presented  several  inscriptions  in  the  same  un¬ 
known  writing.  Indeed  we  found  them  at  almost 
every  point  where  the  overhanging  or  projecting  rocks 
seemed  to  indicate  a  convenient  resting  place.  The 
mountains  on  either  side  continued  of  the  same  charac¬ 
ter  as  those  we  had  passed  yesterday,  chiefly  porphyry 


1)  Flora  Aegypt.  Arab.  p.  214. 


2)  Ibid.  p.  121. 


Mar.  23.]  INSCRIPTIONS.  VIEW  OF  SERBAL.  125 

and  red  granite,  with  an  occasional  vein  of  gray  gra¬ 
nite.  The  rock  was  mostly  of  a  coarse  texture, 
much  disintegrated  and  often  worn  away  hy  the  wea¬ 
ther,  like  sandstone.  Not  unfrequently  thin  perpen¬ 
dicular  veins  apparently  of  griinstein  or  porphyry  were 
to  be  seen,  projecting  above  the  granite  and  running 
through  the  rocks  in  a  straight  line  over  mountains 
and  vallies  for  miles,  and  presenting  the  appearance 
of  low  walls.  They  reminded  me  strongly  of  the 
stone- fences  of  New  England. — At  a  quarter  past  7 
o’clock  the  Wady  spread  out  into  a  plain,  where  the 
peak  of  Jebel  Musa  was  first  pointed  out  to  us  hear¬ 
ing  S.  E.  while  the  left  hand  peak  of  Serbal  bore  S.  W. 

•  • 

Ten  minutes  later  Wady  ’Osh,  a  side  valley,  entered 
the  Berah  from  the  left,  in  which  sweet  water  is  found 
at  some  distance.  Opposite  its  mouth,  on  our  right, 
was  an  old  cemetery,  apparently  no  longer  used  by  the 
Arabs.  The  heaps  of  stones  which  mark  the  graves 
are  larger  than  usual,  and  our  guides  referred  them 
hack  to  the  times  of  the  Franks ;  as  the  Bedawin  do 
every  thing  of  which  they  know  nothing  themselves. 
They  seem  to  have  a  general  impression,  not  perhaps 
a  distinct  tradition,  that  the  country  was  once  in  the 
possession  of  Frank  Christians.  At  77  o’clock  Wady 
el-Akhclar  came  in  from  the  N.  E.  It  was  said  to 
begin  near  Jebel  et-Tih,  where  there  is  a  spring  of 
the  same  name,  ’Ain  el-Akhclar;  and  uniting  here  with 
the  Berah,  it  passes  on  S.  W.  to  join  Wady  esh-Sheikh. 
The  united  valley  after  this  junction  takes  the  name 
of  Wady  Feiran.  The  point  where  the  Berah  and 
Akhdar  unite,  is  a  broad  open  space  covered  with 
herbs  and  surrounded  by  low  hills.  Here  is  a  fine 
view  of  Mount  Serbal,  which  rose  in  full  majesty  upon 
our  right  at  the  distance  of  twelve  or  fifteen  miles,  be¬ 
ing  separated  from  us  only  by  a  low  ridge  or  tract 
beyond  which  lies  Wady  Feiran.  As  thus  seen,  it 


126 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


presents  the  appearance  of  a  long,  thin,  lofty  ridge  of 
granite,  with  numerous  points  or  peaks,  of  which  there 
are  reckoned  five  principal  ones;  the  whole  being 
strictly  what  the  Germans  call  a  Kamm .  We  saw  it 
now  in  the  bright  beams  of  the  morning  sun,  a  grand 
and  noble  object,  as  its  ragged  peaks  were  reflected 
upon  the  deep  azure  beyond. 

Thus  far  we  had  followed  the  same  route  which 
Burckhardt  took  in  1816  ;  but  from  this  point  he  turned 
into  the  Akhdar,  and  then  crossed  higher  up  to  Wady 
esh-Sheikh,  which  he  then  followed  to  Mount  Sinai. 
We  kept  the  more  direct  and  usual  road,  crossing  the 
Akhdar,  and  continuing  on  a  S.  S.  E.  course  up  the 
short  ascent  of  Wady  Soleif  to  the  top  or  water-shed, 
which  we  passed  at  8J  o’clock  ;  and  then  descending 
along  a  Wady  still  called  Soleif  towards  Wady  esh- 
Sheikh.  Here  we  met  Sheikh  Tuweileb,  on  foot,  the 
same  who  was  to  be  our  future  guide,  returning  it  was 
said  to  his  family.  At  three  quarters  past  8  o’clock 
we  reached  Wady  esh-Sheikh,  one  of  the  largest  and 
most  famous  vallies  of  the  peninsula.  It  takes  its  rise 
in  the  very  heart  of  Sinai,  whence  it  issues  a  broad 
valley  at  first  in  an  eastern  direction,  and  then  sweep¬ 
ing  round  to  the  North  and  West,  it  passes  down  to¬ 
wards  Serbal.  We  found  it  here  running  from  N.  E. 
to  S.  W.  After  receiving  the  Akhdar,  it  takes  the 
name  of  Feiran,  and  as  such  is  well-watered,  has  gar¬ 
dens  of  fruit  and  palm-trees,  and  receiving  many 
branches  runs  to  the  northward  of  Serbal  quite  down 
to  the  sea.  The  lower  and  easier  road  from  Wady 
et-Taiyibeh  to  Sinai  enters  the  Feiran  from  the  head 
of  Wady  Mukatteb,  and  follows  it  up  through  Wady 
esh-Sheikh  almost  to  the  Convent.  From  the  point 
where  we  now  were,  this  road  is  long  and  circuitous ; 
while  a  shorter  one  strikes  directly  towards  the  Con¬ 
vent,  ascending  in  part  by  a  narrow  and  difficult  pass. 


Mar.  23.] 


WADY  ESH-SHEIKH. 


127 


We  took  the  latter;  and  crossing  Wady  esh-Sheikh 
proceeded  on  a  course  S.  E.  by  S.  up  the  broad  Wady 
or  rather  sloping  plain,  es-Seheb,  thickly  studded  with 
shrubs,  but  without  trees.  Here  and  around  Wady 
esh-Sheikh  are  only  low  hills,  lying  between  the  rocky 
mountains  behind  us  and  the  cliffs  of  Sinai  before  us  ; 
and  forming  as  it  were  a  lower  belt  around  the  lofty 
central  granite  region.  Over  these  hills,  low  walls  of 
porphyry  or  grimstein,  like  those  above  described, 
run  in  various  directions,  stretching  off  to  a  great  dis¬ 
tance. 

This  plain  of  Seheb  had  been  last  year  the  scene  of 
threatened  war  between  the  different  tribes  of  the 
Tawarah ;  growing  out  of  a  dispute  as  to  the  right  of 
conducting  travellers  to  and  from  the  convent.  The 
story  had  some  reference  to  Lord  Lindsay  and  his  party ; 
and  I  shall  give  it,  as  we  heard  it,  at  the  close  of  the 
present  Section,  in  speaking  of  the  divisions  and  cha¬ 
racter  of  the  Tawarah. 

We  came  to  the  top  of  the  plain  at  a  quarter  be¬ 
fore  11  o’clock,  where  is  a  short  but  rough  pass,  full 

of  debris ,  having  on  the  right  a  low  sharp  peak  called 

•  • 

el-’Orf.  From  this  point  to  the  base  of  the  cliffs  of 
Sinai  there  is  a  sort  of  belt  or  tract  of  gravel  and  sand, 
full  of  low  hills  and  ridges,  sinking  down  towards  the 
foot  of  the  cliffs  into  the  Wady  Solaf,  which  runs  off 
W.  along  their  base  to  join  Wady  esh-Sheikh.  The 
black  and  frowning  mountains  before  us,  the  outworks 
as  it  were  of  Sinai,  are  here  seen  to  great  advantage, 
rising  abrupt  and  rugged  from  their  very  base'  eight 
hundred  to  a  thousand  feet  in  height,  as  if  forbidding 
all  approach  to  the  sanctuary  within.  On  the  West 
of  the  pass,  which  is  here  hardly  distinguishable,  the 
cliffs  bear  the  name  of  Jebel  el-Haweit.  Descending 
S.  S.  E.  across  the  belt,  we  came  at  12h  15'  to  Wady 
Solaf,  which  has  its  head  not  very  far  to  the  left,  near 


128 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  IIL 


a  spring  called  Ghurbeh,  where  some  tamarisks  and 
other  trees  were  visible.  Here  the  road  from  Tur 
falls  into  ours  from  the  S.  W.,  having  come  up  through 
Wady  Hibran,  and  crossed  over  the  ridge  that  sepa¬ 
rates  the  waters  flowing  to  that  valley  from  those  of 
Wady  esh-Sheikh  the  one  running  on  the  North  and 
the  other  on  the  South  of  Serbal.  The  same  ridge 
also  forms  the  connecting  link  between  Serbal  and 
the  more  central  Sinai.  This  road  enters  Wady  So¬ 
laf  an  hour  and  a  half  below. 

W e  now  turned  up  Wady  Solaf  a  little,  along  the 
base  of  the  mountains  on  a  S.  E.  course,  passing  in 
fifteen  minutes  the  mouth  of  a  very  narrow  valley  or 
chasm,  Wady  Ruclhwah,  coming  down  from  the  S.  S. 
W.  through  the  cliffs ;  from  it  a  steep  pass  was  said  to 
lead  S.  W.  over  the  mountains,  to  a  place  called  Hu¬ 
gh  abigh  with  water  and  gardens  at  or  near  the  head  of 
Wady  Hibran.  Leaving  the  Solaf  at  12f  o’clock,  we 
began  gradually  to  ascend  towards  the  foot  of  the  pass 
before  us,  called  by  our  Arabs  Ntikb  Hawy,  “  Windy 
Pass,”  and  by  Burckhardt  Nilkb  er-Rahah  from  the 
tract  above  it.2  We  reached  the  foot  at  a  quarter  past 
1  o’clock,  and  dismounting  commenced  the  slow  and 
toilsome  ascent  along  the  narrow  defile,  about  S.  by 
E.  between  blackened,  shattered  cliffs  of  granite  some 
eight  hundred  feet  high  and  not  more  than  two  hun¬ 
dred  and  fifty  yards  apart;  which  every  moment 
threatened  to  send  down  their  ruins  on  our  heads. 
Nor  is  this  at  all  times  an  empty  threat ;  for  the  whole 
pass  is  filled  with  large  stones  and  rocks,  the  debris 
of  these  cliffs.  The  bottom  is  a  deep  and  narrow 
water-course,  where  the  wintery  torrent  sweeps  down 


1)  Here  and  elsewhere,  in  speak¬ 
ing  of  running  waters,  I  mean  of 
course  the  waters  of  the  rainy 
season  as  they  flow  off.  At  this 


time  there  was  very  little  (if  any) 
running  water  in  the  peninsula. 
We  saw  none. 

2)  Page  596. 


Mar.  23.] 


NUKB  HAWY. 


129 


with  fearful  violence.  A  path  has  been  made  for 
camels  along  the  shelving  piles  of  rocks,  partly  by  re¬ 
moving  the  topmost  blocks  and  sometimes  by  laying 
down  large  stones  side  by  side,  somewhat  in  the  man¬ 
ner  of  a  Swiss  mountain  road.  But  although  I  had 
crossed  the  most  rugged  passes  of  the  Alps,  and  made 
from  Chamouny  the  whole  circuit  of  Mont  Blanc,  I 
had  never  found  a  path  so  rude  and  difficult  as  that 
we  were  now  ascending.1  The  camels  toiled  slowly 
and  painfully  along,  stopping  frequently ;  so  that 
although  it  took  them  two  hours  and  a  quarter  to 
reach  the  top  of  the  pass,  yet  the  distance  cannot  be 
reckoned  at  more  than  one  hour.  From  a  point  about 
half  way  up,  the  E.  end  of  Jebel  ez-Zebir  bore  N. 
42°  W.  and  two  peaks  at  its  western  end  called  el- 
Benat,  N.  60°  W.  Higher  up  the  path  lies  in  the  bed 
of  the  torrent  and  became  less  steep.  As  we  ad¬ 
vanced,  the  sand  was  occasionally  moist,  and  on  dig¬ 
ging  into  it  with  the  hand,  the  hole  was  soon  filled 
with  fine  sweet  water.  We  tried  the  experiment  in 
several  places.  Here  too  were  several  small  palm- 
trees,  and  a  few  tufts  of  grass,  the  first  we  had  seen 
since  leaving  the  borders  of  the  Nile.  Burckhardt 
mentions  a  spring  called  Kaneitar  in  this  part  of  the 
pass  ;2  but  it  was  now  dry ;  at  least  we  neither  saw 
nor  heard  of  any.  In  the  pass  we  found  upon  the  rocks 
two  Sinaite  inscriptions ;  one  of  them  having  over  it 
a  cross  of  the  same  date. 

It  was  half  past  3  o’clock  when  we  reached  the 
top,  from  which  the  convent  was  said  to  be  an  hour 
distant ;  but  we  found  it  two  hours,  as  did  also  Burck¬ 
hardt.3  Descending  a  little  into  a  small  Wady,  which 

1)  Pococke  speaks  of  this  pass  2)  Page  597. 

as  “  a  narrow  vale  which  has  a  3)  Page  596.  Burckhardt  trav- 

gentle  ascent  with  water  and  palm-  elled  in  the  other  direction,  from 
trees  in  it.”  Travels  I.  fol.  p.  142.  the  convent  down  the  pass. 

Vol.  I.  17 


130 


FROM  SUEZ  TO  MOUNT  SINAI, 


[Sec.  IIL 


lias  its  head  here  and  runs  off  through  a  cleft  in  the 
western  mountains  apparently  to  Wady  Rudhwah,  we 
soon  began  to  ascend  again  gradually  on  a  course  S. 
E.  by  S.  passing  by  a  small  spring  of  good  water; 
beyond  which  the  valley  opens  by  degrees  and  its 
bottom  becomes  less  uneven.  Here  the  interior  and 
loftier  peaks  of  the  great  circle  of  Sinai  began  to  open 
upon  us, — black,  rugged,  desolate  summits ;  and  as  we 
advanced,  the  dark  and  frowning  front  of  Sinai  itself 
(the  present  Horeb  of  the  monks)  began  to  appear. 
We  were  still  gradually  ascending,  and  the  valley 
gradually  opening ;  but  as  yet  all  was  a  naked  desert. 
Afterwards  a  few  shrubs  were  sprinkled  round  about, 
and  a  small  encampment  of  black  tents  was  seen  on 
our  right,  with  camels  and  goats  browsing,  and  a  few 
donkies  belonging  to  the  convent.  The  scenery 
through  which  we  had  now  passed,  reminded  me 
strongly  of  the  mountains  around  the  Mer  de  Glace 
in  Switzerland.  I  had  never  seen  a  spot  more  wild 
and  desolate. 

As  we  advanced,  the  valley  still  opened  wider  and 
wider  with  a  gentle  ascent,  and  became  full  of  shrubs 
and  tufts  of  herbs,  shut  in  on  each  side  by  lofty  gra¬ 
nite  ridges  with  rugged,  shattered  peaks  a  thousand 
feet  high,  while  the  face  of  Horeb  rose  directly  before 
us.  Both  my  companion  and  myself  involuntarily  ex¬ 
claimed  :  “  Here  is  room  enough  for  a  large  encamp¬ 
ment!”  Reaching  the  top  of  the  ascent,  or  water¬ 
shed,  a  fine  broad  plain  lay  before  us,  sloping  down 
gently  towards  the  S.  S.  E.  enclosed  by  rugged  and 
venerable  mountains  of  dark  granite,  stern,  naked, 
splintered  peaks  and  ridges,  of  indescribable  grandeur; 
and  terminated  at  the  distance  of  more  than  a  mile 
by  the  bold  and  awful  front  of  Horeb,  rising  perpen¬ 
dicularly  in  frowning  majesty,  from  twelve  to  fifteen 
hundred  feet  in  height.  It  was  a  scene  of  solemn 


Mar.  23.] 


APPROACH  TO  SINAI. 


131 


grandeur,  wholly  unexpected,  and  such  as  we  had 
never  seen ;  and  the  associations  which  at  the  moment 
rushed  upon  our  minds,  were  almost  overwhelming. 
As  we  went  on,  new  points  of  interest  were  continu¬ 
ally  opening  to  our  view.  On  the  left  of  Horeb,  a  deep 
and  narrow  valley  runs  up  S.  S.  E.  between  lofty 
walls  of  rock,  as  if  in  continuation  of  the  S.  E.  corner 
of  the  plain.  In  this  valley,  at  the  distance  of  near  a 
mile  from  the  plain,  stands  the  convent ;  and  the  deep 
verdure  of  its  fruit-trees  and  cypresses  is  seen  as  the 
traveller  approaches, — an  oasis  of  beauty  amid  scenes 
of  the  sternest  desolation.  At  the  S.  W.  comer  of  the 
plain  the  cliffs  also  retreat,  and  form  a  recess  or  open 
place  extending  from  the  plain  westward  for  some 
distance.  From  this  recess  there  runs  up  a  similar 
narrow  valley  on  the  west  of  Horeb,  called  el-Leja, 
parallel  to  that  in  which  the  convent  stands ;  and  in 
it  is  the  deserted  convent  el-Arba’in,  with  a  garden  of 
olive  and  other  fruit-trees  not  visible  from  the  plain. 
A  third  garden  lies  at  the  mouth  of  el-Leja,  and  a 
fourth  further  West  in  the  recess  just  mentioned.  The 
whole  plain  is  called  Wady  er-Rahah  ;  and  the  valley 
of  the  convent  is  known  to  the  Arabs  as  Wady  Shu’- 
eib,  that  is,  the  Vale  of  Jethro.  Still  advancing,  the 
front  of  Horeb  rose  like  a  wall  before  us ;  and  one 
can  approach  quite  to  the  foot  and  touch  the  mount. 
Directly  before  its  base  is  the  deep  bed  of  a  torrent, 
by  which  in  the  rainy  season  the  waters  of  el-Leja 
and  the  mountains  around  the  recess,  pass  down  east¬ 
ward  across  the  plain,  forming  the  commencement  of 
Wady  esh-Sheikh,  which  then  issues  by  an  opening 
through  the  cliffs  of  the  eastern  mountain, — a  fine 
broad  valley  affording  the  only  easy  access  to  the 
plain  and  convent. — As  we  crossed  the  plain  our  feel¬ 
ings  were  strongly  affected,  at  finding  here  so  unex¬ 
pectedly  a  spot  so  entirely  adapted  to  the  Scriptural 


132 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  Ill- 


account  of  the  giving  of  the  law.  No  traveller  has 
described  this  plain,  nor  even  mentioned  it  except  in  a 
slight  and  general  manner  ;  probably  because  the  most 
have  reached  the  convent  by  another  route  without 
passing  over  it ;  and  perhaps  too  because  neither  the 
highest  point  of  Sinai  (now  called  Jebel  Musa),  nor 
the  still  loftier  summit  of  St.  Catharine,  is  visible 
from  any  part  of  it.1 

As  we  approached  the  mountain  our  head  Arab, 
Besharah,  became  evidently  quite  excited.  He  pray¬ 
ed  that  our  pilgrimage  might  be  accepted,  and  bring 
rain ;  and  with  great  earnestness  besought,  that  when 
we  ascended  the  mountain,  we  would  open  a  certain 
window  in  the  chapel  there,  towards  the  South,  which 
he  said  would  certainly  cause  rain  to  fall.  He  also 
entreated  almost  with  tears,  that  we  would  induce 
the  monks  to  have  compassion  on  the  people,  and  say 
prayers  as  they  ought  to  do  for  rain.  When  told  that 
God  alone  could  send  rain,  and  they  should  look  to 
him  for  it,  he  replied:  “  Yes,  but  the  monks  have  the 
book  of  prayer  for  it ;  do  persuade  them  to  use  it  as 
they  ought.”2  There  was  an  earnestness  in  his  man¬ 
ner  which  was  very  affecting,  but  cannot  be  described. 
Just  after  crossing  Wady  esh-Sheikh,  we  passed  at  the 
mouth  of  Wady  Shu’eib,  a  burial-ground  much  vene¬ 
rated  by  the  Arabs.  Here  Besharah  repeated  a  few 


l)Monconys  appears  to  have 
come  by  the  same  route  in  A.  D. 
1647,  “  par  un  chemin  tres  rude, 
oa  les  chameaux  travaillaient 
beaucoup.”  He  says  the  convent 
is  seen  from  the  top  of  the  ascent, 
“  dans  le  fond  d’une  grande  cam- 
pagne  verte  qui  commence  en  cet 
endroit.  Elle  a  une  lieue  et  demi 
de  long,  et  un  grand  quart  de  lieue 
de  large.”  Tom.  I.  p.  214.  Mori- 
son  describes  the  plain  as  being 
“d’une  lieue  de  longueur,  mais 
d’une  largeur  peu  considerable 


Relation  Historique,  p.  91.  These 
notices,  although  exaggerated,  are 
the  most  distinct  mention  of  the 
plain  that  I  have  been  able  to  find. 
Of  Shaw’s  account  I  can  make 
nothing;  p.  314,  4to. 

2)  “  They  [the  Arabs]  are  per¬ 
suaded,  that  the  priests  of  the  con¬ 
vent  are  in  possession  of  the  Tau- 
rat,  a  book  sent  down  to  Moses 
from  heaven,  upon  the  opening 
and  shutting  of  which  depend  the 
rains  of  the  peninsula.”  Burck- 
hardt,  p.  567. 


Mar.  23.] 


THE  CONVENT. 


133 


words  of  prayer ;  the  first  time  we  had  known  him 
or  any  of  our  Arabs  pray  since  leaving  Cairo. 

From  the  Wady  esh-Sheikh  to  the  convent  is  a 
distance  of  twenty-five  minutes,  by  a  difficult  path 
along  the  rocky  bed  of  the  narrow  valley.  We  had 
come  on  in  advance  of  the  loaded  camels,  and  reached 
the  convent  at  half  past  5  o’clock.  Under  the  en¬ 
trance  were  many  Arabs  in  high  clamour,  serfs  of  the 
convent,  who  were  receiving  a  distribution  of  some 
kind  of  provision  from  above ;  we  did  not  learn  what. 
The  only  regular  entrance  at  present  is  by  a  door 
nearly  thirty  feet  (or  more  exactly  28  feet  9  inches) 
from  the  ground  ;  the  great  door  having  been  walled 
up  for  more  than  a  century.  On  making  known  our 
arrival,  a  cord  was  let  down  with  a  demand  for  our 
letters  ;  and  we  sent  up  the  one  we  had  received  from 
the  branch-convent  in  Cairo.  This  proving  satisfac¬ 
tory,  a  rope  was  let  down  for  us  ;  in  which  seating 
ourselves,  we  were  hoisted  up  one  by  one  by  a  wind¬ 
lass  within  to  the  level  of  the  door,  and  then  pulled  in 
by  hand.  The  Superior  himself,  a  mild-looking  old 
man  with  a  long  white  beard,  received  us  with  an 
embrace  and  a  kiss,  and  conducted  us  to  the  stran¬ 
gers’  rooms.  While  these  were  preparing,  we  seated 
ourselves  in  the  adjacent  piazza,  upon  antique  chairs 
of  various  forms,  which  have  doubtless  come  down 
through  many  centuries ;  and  had  a  few  moments  of 
quiet  to  ourselves,  in  which  to  collect  our  thoughts. 
I  was  affected  by  the  strangeness  and  overpowering 
grandeur  of  the  scenes  around  us ;  and  it  was  for  some 
time  difficult  to  realize,  that  we  were  now  actually 
within  the  very  precincts  of  that  Sinai,  on  which  from 
the  earliest  childhood  I  had  thought  and  read  with  so 
much  wonder.  Yet,  when  at  length  the  impression 
came  with  its  full  force  upon  my  mind,  although  not 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


134 


[Sec.  m. 


given  to  the  melting  mood,  I  could  not  refrain  from 
bursting  into  tears. 

We  were  soon  put  in  possession  of  our  rooms,  and 
greeted  with  kindness  by  the  monks  and  attendants. 
The  priests  and  pilgrim  who  passed  us  on  the  way, 
had  arrived  some  hours  before  us.  Almonds  were 
now  brought,  with  coffee  and  date-brandy ;  and  the 
good  monks  wondered  when  we  declined  the  latter. 
Our  servants  and  baggage  arrived  later ;  and  having 
been  drawn  up  in  like  manner,  the  former  were  in¬ 
stalled  in  the  kitchen  near  our  rooms,  under  the  aus¬ 
pices  of  an  old  man  of  more  than  eighty  years,  our  chief 
attendant.  Supper  was  prepared  in  an  adjoining 
room,  chiefly  of  eggs  and  rice,  with  olives  and  coarse 
bread;  the  Superior  making  many  apologies  for  not 
giving  us  better  fare,  inasmuch  as  it  was  now  Lent, 
and  also  very  difficult  to  obtain  camels  to  bring  grain 
and  provisions  from  Tur  and  elsewhere.  Indeed  such 
had  been  the  lack  of  rain  for  several  years,  and  espe¬ 
cially  the  present  season,  that  all  food  and  pasturage 
was  dried  up ;  and  camels  were  dying  of  famine  in 
great  numbers.  Besharah,  on  the  way,  heard  of  the 
death  of  a  dromedary  of  his  at  home;  and  the  one 
which  we  left  behind  on  the  road,  died  a  few  days  af¬ 
terwards.  It  was  well  that  we  were  to  stop  some 
days  at  the  convent ;  for  our  camels  were  nearly  worn 
out,  and  quite  unable  to  go  on.  Yet  it  was  for  a  time 
somewhat  doubtful,  whether  we  should  be  able  to 
procure  others  in  their  stead. 

The  rooms  we  occupied  were  small  and  tolerably 
neat;  the  floor  was  covered  with  carpets  which  had 
once  been  handsome,  though  now  well  worn  ;  and  a 
low  divan  was  raised  along  three  sides  of  the  room, 
which  served  as  a  seat  by  day  and  a  place  to  spread 
our  beds  at  night.  Here  all  travellers  have  lodged, 


Mar.  24] 


THE  CONVENT. 


135 


who  have  visited  the  convent  for  many  generations ; 
hut  they  have  left  no  memorials  behind,  except  in  re¬ 
cent  years.  The  inscriptions  pasted  upon  the  walls, 
which  Burckhardt  mentions  in  1816,1  commemorating 
the  visits  of  Rozieres,  Seetzen,  and  others,  no  longer 
remain;  for  the  walls  have  been  since  painted  or 
washed  over,  and  all  traces  of  them  destroyed.  In¬ 
stead  of  them  an  album  is  now  kept,  which  does  little 
credit  to  some  of  those,  whose  names  figure  in  it  most 
conspicuously.  Father  Neophytus,  the  Superior,  came 
to  us  again  after  supper ;  and  as  my  companion  could 
speak  modern  Greek  with  some  fluency,  we  found  pe¬ 
culiar  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  good  old  man,  to  whom 
the  Arabic  was  almost  an  unknown  tongue.  We  had 
been  furnished  with  a  letter  of  introduction  in  Arabic 
from  the  agent  of  the  convent  in  Suez,  one  of  the 
brothers  Manueli,  and  now  presented  it ;  but  they  were 
obliged  to  send  for  the  Ikonomos,  who  deals  with  the 
Arabs,  to  read  it.  When  he  came,  it  was  only  to  say, 
that  as  we  spoke  Greek  it  was  useless  to  read  an 
Arabic  letter. 

The  geographical  position  of  the  convent,  as  deter¬ 
mined  by  Ruppell  in  A.  D.  1826,  is  Lat.  28°  32'  55" 
N.  and  Long.  31°  37'  54"  E.  from  Paris,  or  33°  58'  18" 
E.  from  Greenwich.2  The  elevation  above  the  sea, 
according  to  Schubert’s  observations,  is  4725.  6  Paris 
feet;  according  to  Russegger,  5115  Paris  feet.  The 
number  corresponding  to  Ruppell’s  other  measure¬ 
ments,  would  be  about  4966  Paris  feet.3 

Saturday ,  March  24 th.  We  felt  as  if  we  had  now 
a  place  of  rest  for  a  time.  Our  Arabs  with  their  cam¬ 
els  had  dispersed  to  their  homes ;  and  Besharah  was 


1)  Page  552. 

2)  Ruppell’s  Reisen  in  Nubien, 
etc.  p.  292.  Berghaus’  Memoir  zu 
seiner  Karte  von  Syrien,  pp.  28,  30. 

3)  For  Schubert’s  measure¬ 


ments,  where  not  specified  in  his 
work,  I  am  indebted  to  a  manu¬ 
script  copy.  For  Russegger’s,  see 
Berghaus’  Annalen  der  Erdkunde, 
F eb.  u.  Marz  1839,  p.  425  seq. 


136 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


to  return  after  three  days  to  learn  when  we  wished 
to  depart  for  ’Akabah.  We  found  enough  to  do  for 
this  day,  in  writing  up  our  journals  and  examining  the 
vicinity  of  the  convent. 

The  valley  of  Shu’eib  runs  up  from  the  plain  S.  E. 
by  S.  and  forms  a  cul  de  sac ,  being  terminated  not  far 
beyond  the  convent  by  a  mountain  less  lofty  and  steep 
than  those  on  the  sides,  over  which  a  pass  leads  to¬ 
wards  Shurm  on  the  coast  of  the  eastern  gulf.  The 
valley  is  so  narrow  at  the  bottom,  that  while  the  east¬ 
ern  wall  of  the  convent  runs  along  the  water-course, 
the  main  body  of  the  building  stands  on  the  slope  of  the 
western  mountain,  so  that  the  western  wall  lies  con¬ 
siderably  higher  than  the  eastern.  The  mountains 
on  either  side  tower  to  the  height  of  a  thousand  feet 
above  the  valley. 

The  convent  is  an  irregular  quadrangle,  245  French 
feet  long  by  204  broad;1  enclosed  by  high  walls,  built 
of  granite  blocks,  of  which  there  is  no  lack  here,  and 
strengthened  with  small  towers  in  various  parts ;  in 
one  or  two  of  which  there  are  small  cannon.  One 
portion  of  the  eastern  wall  was  now  threatening  to 
tumble  down  ;  and  workmen  were  already  preparing 
the  materials  for  rebuilding  it.  Another  portion  was 
rebuilt  with  great  solidity  by  the  French  when  in 
Egypt,  by  order  of  General  Kleber,  who  sent  work¬ 
men  from  Cairo  for  that  purpose;  and  the  monks 
retain  a  very  grateful  feeling  towards  that  nation  in 
consequence.  The  space  enclosed  within  the  walls  is 
cut  up  into  a  number  of  small  courts,  by  various 
ranges  of  buildings  running  in  all  directions,  forming 
quite  a  labyrinth  of  narrow  winding  passages,  ascend¬ 
ing  and  descending.  Some  of  the  little  courts  are 
ornamented  with  a  cypress  or  other  small  trees,  and 


1)  Journal  of  the  Prefect  of  the  Franciscans,  in  1722. 


4 


Mar.  24.]  GARDEN  OF  THE  CONVENT.  137 

beds  of  flowers  and  vegetables ;  while  many  vines  run 
along  the  sides  of  the  buildings.  Every  thing  is  irreg¬ 
ular,  but  neat ;  and  all  bears  the  marks  of  high  anti¬ 
quity  ;  being  apparently  the  patch- work  of  various 
by-gone  centuries.  In  the  court  near  the  strangers5 
rooms  is  a  large  well ;  but  the  water  for  drinking  is 
usually  taken  from  the  fountain  of  Moses  near  the 
church,  and  is  very  pure  and  fine. 

The  garden  joins  the  convent  on  the  north,  extend¬ 
ing  for  some  distance  down  the  valley ;  and  is  in  like 
manner  enclosed  with  high  walls ;  which  however  it 
would  not  be  very  difficult  to  scale.  In  the  course  of 
the  morning  the  Superior  invited  us  to  walk  through 
it,  showing  us  the  way  himself  along  a  dark  and 
partly  subterranean  passage  under  the  northern  wall 
of  the  convent.  This  is  closed  by  an  iron  door,  now 
left  open  all  day  for  the  free  ingress  and  egress  of  the 
inmates  and  visitors.  The  garden,  like  the  convent, 
lies  along  the  slope  of  the  western  mountain,  and  is 
formed  into  several  terraces,  planted  with  fruit-trees. 
At  its  S.  E.  corner,  near  the  high  entrance  of  the  con¬ 
vent,  the  wall  is  mounted  on  the  inside  by  a  stile,  with 
a  ladder  to  let  down  outside,  forming  a  way  of  en¬ 
trance  to  the  garden  and  convent.  By  this  way  ladies 
are  introduced,  when  they  happen  to  wander  as  trav¬ 
ellers  into  this  solitary  region.  There  is  another  sim¬ 
ilar  entrance  to  the  garden  through  a  small  building 
on  the  wall  in  the  N.  W.  part,  which  is  easier  and 
more  used ;  the  wall  having  here  a  slight  inclination, 
and  being  ascended  by  the  help  of  a  rope.  At  present 
the  passages  are  left  open  during  the  day;  but  are 
strictly  shut  up  at  night. 

The  garden  was  now  suffering  from  drought ;  but 
it  looked  beautifully  verdant  in  contrast  with  the 
stern  desolation  that  reigns  all  around.  Besides  the 
tall  dark  cypresses  which  are  se£n  from  afar,  it  con- 
Vol.  I.  18 


138 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


tains  mostly  fruit-trees ;  few  vegetables  being  at  pre¬ 
sent  cultivated  in  it.  Indeed,  the  number  and  variety 
of  fruit-trees  is  surprising,  and  testifies  to  the  fine 
temperature  and  vivifying  power  of  the  climate,  pro¬ 
vided  there  be  a  supply  of  water.  The  almond-trees 
are  very  large,  and  had  b^en  long  out  of  blossom. 
The  apricot-trees  are  also  large,  and  like  the  apple- 
trees,  were  now  in  full  bloom ;  or  rather,  were  already 
in  the  wane.  There  are  also  pears,  pomegranates, 
figs,  quinces,  mulberries,  olives,  and  many  vines ;  be¬ 
sides  other  trees  and  shrubs  in  great  variety.  The 
fruit  produced  is  said  to  be  excellent.  The  Arabs  are 
now  on  good  terms  with  the  monks,  and  do  not  rob 
the  gardens ;  but  the  long  want  of  rain  had  made 
them  less  productive.  This  garden,  although  under 
the  immediate  care  of  the  monks,  is  not  well  kept, 
and  has  nothing  ornamental  about  it ;  nor  is  it  well 
irrigated.  Still  it  is  a  gem  in  the  desert. 

As  we  were  walking  up  and  down  in  the  garden, 
we  were  met  by  Sheikh  Husein,  the  former  guide  of 
Laborde  and  other  travellers,  who  was  now  head 
Sheikh  of  his  tribe,  the  Aulad  Sa’id,  and  had  come  to 
the  convent  on  business.  Hd  was  a  fine-looking  intel¬ 
ligent  man  in  middle  life,  and  enjoyed  great  considera¬ 
tion  and  influence  among  the  Tawarah  and  at  the 
convent.  We  were  glad  to  meet  him  and  answer  his 
inquiries,  so  far  as  we  could,  in  respect  to  the  many 
Frank  travellers  whom  he  had  known;  all  of  whom 
he  seemed  to  remember  with  kindness.  Nor  was  he 
less  disposed  to  answer  our  many  questions,  relative  to 
the  parts  of  the  peninsula  with  which  he  was  best 
acquainted.  We  learned  on  this  occasion,  that  the 
Arabs  are  not  now,  as  formerly,  wholly  excluded  from 
the  convent  and  its  precincts;  but  the  Sheikhs  and 
chief  men  are  freely  admitted  into  the  garden,  where 
business  is  often  transacted  with  them ;  and  sometimes 


Mar.  24.] 


PLAIN  ER-RAHAH. 


139 


also  into  the  convent  itself.  A  number  of  the  serfs  like¬ 
wise  live  within  the  gar  den- walls.  But  the  ordinary 
mode  of  communicating  with  the  common  Arabs,  is 
from  the  high  door,  or  through  a  small  hole  in  the  wall 
lower  down. 

In  the  afternoon  we  went  out  through  the  garden 
to  examine  more  particularly  the  plain  which  we  had 
crossed  yesterday.  Taking  our  station  on  the  highest 
part  of  the  plain,  or  water-shed,  and  looking  towards 
the  convent,  we  found  the  general  direction  of  the  plain 
and  valley  of  the  convent  to  be  S.  E.-JS.  or  more  ex¬ 
actly  S.  41°  E.  The  mountain  on  the  left  or  N.  E.  of 
the  plain,  called  Jebel  el-Fureia’,  is  long  and  high, 
with  table-land  on  the  top  and  pasturage  for  camels. 
It  extends  northward  along  the  pass  by  which  we 
ascended,  and  southwards  to  Wady  Sheikh  at  the  S. 
E.  corner  of  the  plain.  South  of  this  Wady,  the 
mountain  which  overhangs  the  convent  on  the  East, 
is  called  Jebel  ed-Deir,  and  also  Mountain  of  the  Cross.1 
The  mountain  on  the  W.  of  the  pass  is  called  Jebel 
es-Seru  or  es-Surey ;  but  S.  of  the  cleft  running  down 
to  Wady  Rudhwah  it  takes  for  a  time  the  name  of 
Sulsul  Zeit;  and  then  at  its  Southern  end  near  the 
recess,  that  of  el-Ghubsheh.  Along  the  plain  this 
mountain  is  somewhat  lower  than  the  opposite  or 
eastern  one,  and  its  top  more  broken  into  ragged 
peaks;  while  over  it  and  through  the  breaks  in  its 
ridge  is  seen  a  much  higher  ridge,  further  West,  called 
Jebel  Tinia.  This  western  side  of  the  plain  is  quite 
irregular,  from  the  spurs  and  points  of  the  mountain 
which  jut  out  into  it.  On  the  W.  of  the  recess  above 
mentioned  is  Jebel  el-Humr,  connected  by  a  lower 
ridge  or  col  with  el-Ghubsheh,  over  which  a  pass  leads 

1)  This  is  the  mountain  called  there  is  said  once  to  have  been 
Episteme  by  Pococke  and  others,  a  convent  there ;  whence  its  pre- 
A  cross  now  stands  upon  it,  and  sent  name. 


140 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


to  Wady  Till  ah,  and  so  to  the  head  of  Wady  Hibran. 
Jebel  Humr  runs  up  for  some  distance  along  the  west¬ 
ern  side  of  el-Leja;  and  then  more  to  the  S.  and  fur¬ 
ther  back  lies  the  lofty  summit  of  Jebel  Katherin,  or 
St.  Catharine. 

The  name  of  Sinai  is  now  given  by  the  Christians 
in  a  general  way  to  this  whole  cluster  of  mountains ; 
but  in  its  stricter  sense  is  applied  only  to  the  ridge 
lying  between  the  twro  parallel  valleys  Shu'eib  and 
el-Leja.  It  is  the  northern  end  of  this  ridge,  which 
rises  so  boldly  and  majestically  from  the  southern  ex¬ 
tremity  of  the  plain ;  and  this  northern  part  is  -now 
called  by  the  Christians,  Horeb  ;  but  the  Bedawin  do 
not  appear  to  know  that  name.  From  this  front  the 
high  ridge  extends  back  about  S.  E.  by  S.  for  nearly 
or  quite  three  miles,  where  it  terminates  in  the  higher 
peak  of  Jebel  Musa,  which  has  commonly  been  re¬ 
garded  as  the  summit  of  Sinai,  the  place  where  the 
law  was  given. 

The  Arabs  of  the  present  day  have  no  other  name 
for  the  whole  cluster  of  mountains  in  the  peninsula, 
than  Jebel  et-Tvir.  It  is  possible  that  they  may  some¬ 
times  add  the  word  Sina  (Tur  Sina)  by  way  of  distinc¬ 
tion  ;  but  this  certainly  is  not  usual.1 

We  measured  across  the  plain,  wdiere  we  stood, 
along  the  water-shed,  and  found  the  breadth  to  be  at 
that  point  2700  English  feet  or  900  yards ;  though  in 
some  parts  it  is  wrider.  The  distance  to  the  base  of 
Horeb,  measured  in  like  manner,  was  7000  feet,  or 
2333  yards.  The  northern  slope  of  the  plain,  North 
of  where  we  stood;  we  judged  to  be  somewdiat  less 
than  a  mile  in  length  by  one  third  of  a  mile  in  breadth. 


1)  The  supposed  Ibn  Haukal 
about  the  eleventh  century  writes 
Tur  Sina ;  see  Ouseley’s  Ebn 
Haukal  p.  29. — Edrisi  and  Abul- 
feda  have  only  Jebel  Tur  and  et- 


Tur;  see  Edrisi  ed.  Jaubert,  p. 
332.  Abulfed.  Arabia,  in  Geogr. 
vet.  Scriptores  Minores  ed.  Hud¬ 
son,  Oxon.  1712.  Tom.  III.  p.  74, 
seq. 


Mar.  25.] 


PLAIN  ER-RAHAH. 


141 


We  may  therefore  fairly  estimate  the  whole  plain  at 
two  geogr.  miles  long,  and  ranging  in  breadth  from  one 
third  to  two  thirds  of  a  mile  ;  or  as  equivalent  to  a 
surface  of  at  least  one  square  mile.  This  space  is 
nearly  doubled  by  the  recess  so  often  mentioned  on 
the  West,  and  by  the  broad  and  level  area  of  Wady 
Sheikh  on  the  East,  which  issues  at  right  angles  to 
the  plain,  and  is  equally  in  view  of  the  front  and  sum¬ 
mit  of  the  present  Horeb. 

The  examination  of  this  afternoon  convinced  us, 
that  here  was  space  enough  to  satisfy  all  the  requisi¬ 
tions  of  the  Scriptural  narrative,  so  far  as  it  relates  to 
the  assembling  of  the  congregation  to  receive  the  law. 
Here  too  one  can  see  the  fitness  of  the  injunction,  to 
set  bounds  around  the  mount,  that  neither  man  nor 
beast  might  approach  too  near.1  The  encampment 
before  the  mount,  as  has  been  before  suggested,  might 
not  improbably  include  only  the  head-quarters  of 
Moses  and  the  elders,  and  of  a  portion  of  the  people ; 
while  the  remainder,  with  their  flocks,  were  scattered 
among  the  adjacent  vallies. 

The  reader  will  I  hope  pardon  these  topographical 
details  in  a  region  so  interesting.  They  will  help  him 
to  understand  better  the  plan  which  accompanies  this 
volume,  and  prevent  the  necessity  of  many  repeti¬ 
tions. — It  was  late  when  we  returned  to  the  convent; 
we  found  the  entrances  to  the  garden  closed;  and 
were  again  drawn  up  through  the  high  door  in  the 
wall. 

Sunday ,  March  2 5th.  Having  expressed  a  desire 
to  attend  the  service  in  the  great  church  this  morning, 
we  were  welcomed  to  it,  with  the  remark,  that  this 
was  something  unusual  with  travellers.  We  had  al¬ 
ready  been  invited  to  breakfast  afterwards  with  the 


1)  Exod.  xix.  12,  13. 


142 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


fraternity  in  the  refectory.  The  service  commenced 
in  the  church  at  7  o’clock,  and  continued  an  hour  and 
a  half.  It  was  simple,  dignified,  and  solemn,  consist¬ 
ing  in  great  part  in  the  reading  of  the  Gospels,  with 
the  touching  responses  and  chants  of  the  Greek  ritual. 
The  associations  of  Sinai  came  strongly  in  aid  of  the 
calm  and  holy  influence  of  the  service ;  and  every  thing 
tended  to  awaken  in  the  breast  feelings  of  veneration 
and  devotion.  The  antique  yet  simple  grandeur  of 
the  church  is  also  imposing.  The  monks  seemed  each 
to  have  his  particular  seat  or  stall ;  and  two  very  old 
men  struck  me  in  particular,  who  chanted  the  respon¬ 
ses  and  Kyrie  eleison  with  great  simplicity  and  appa¬ 
rent  fervour.  The  service  included  also  the  high  mass, 
or  consecration  of  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord’s  Supper. 
But  the  monks  did  not  commune ;  only  one  stranger,  a 
Greek  from  Tur,  partook  of  it.  Just  at  the  close  of 
the  service,  Father  Neophytus,  the  Prior,  as  a  mark  of 
special  favour,  called  us  of  his  own  acccord  into  the 
sacristy  and  showed  us  the  relics  of  St.  Catharine; 
whose  body  the  monks  suppose  to  have  been  trans¬ 
ported  by  angels  from  Alexandria  to  the  summit  of 
the  mountain  which  now  bears  her  name.  The  relics 
consist  of  a  skull  and  hand,  set  in  gold  and  embossed 
with  jewels.  * 

We  now  repaired  to  the  refectory,  and  were  seated 
at  the  long  table  next  below  the  priests;  the  lay 
brethren  and  pilgrims  taking  their  seats  still  further 
down.  The  table  was  neat,  and  without  a  cloth; 
some  of  the  larger  vessels  were  of  tinned  copper ;  but 
the  plates,  spoons,  basins,  mugs,  and  porringers  for 
drinking,  were  all  of  pewter.  An  orange  and  half  a 
lemon  lay  by  each  plate,  with  a  portion  of  coars  ebread. 
After  a  grace,  a  large  basin  of  soup  or  stew,  made 
of  herbs  and  a  species  of  large  shell-fish,  was  set  on ; 
from  which  each  helped  himself  at  will.  This  with  a 


Mar.  25.]  BREAKFAST  WITH  THE  MONKS. 


143 


few  plates  of  olives  and  raw  beans  soaked  in  water 
till  they  sprout,  formed  the  whole  repast.  The  good 
monks  seemed  to  eat  with  relish;  and  some  of  the 
very  old  ones  set  away  their  plates  with  the  re¬ 
mains  of  these  tid-bits  in  drawers  beneath  the  table. 
During  the  meal  the  young  monk  or  deacon,  whom 
we  had  met  with  on  the  way,  read  from  a  small  pul¬ 
pit  a  sermon  or  homily  in  modern  Greek,  in  praise  of 
Chrysostom.  On  rising  from  the  meal  a  taper  was 
lighted  on  a  small  table  at  the  head  of  the  room, 
around  which  all  gathered,  and  a  prayer  was  said  over 
a  piece  of  bread  and  a  very  small  cup  of  wine.  These 
were  then  carried  around  to  all  standing ;  every  one 
(including  ourselves)  breaking  off  a  morsel  of  the 
bread  and  tasting  the  wine.  This  was  explained  to 
us  as  a  sort  of  love-feast,  a  mere  symbol  of  the  enjoy¬ 
ment  of  wine,  of  which  the  monks  are  not  permitted 
by  their  rules  to  drink.  The  ceremony  however  has 
no  reference  to  the  sacrament  of  the  Lord’s  Supper ; 
as  has  been  erroneously  supposed  by  some  travellers.1 
After  this,  on  leaving  the  room,  each  one  received 
separately  the  benediction  of  the  Superior ;  and  we  all 
retired  to  the  adjacent  ancient  piazza,  where  coffee 
was  handed  round ;  the  deacon  following  and  continu¬ 
ing  his  reading  the  whole  time. — There  was  a  simpli¬ 
city  and  seriousness  during  the  whole  repast  and  its 
accompaniments,  which  were  quite  pleasing. 

After  an  hour  or  two  the  Superior  came  and  took 
us  to  visit  the  different  parts  of  the  interior  of  the  con¬ 
vent.  We  now  saw  the  great  church  with  more  at¬ 
tention.  It  is  massive  and  solid,  dating  from  the  time 
of  the  emperor  Justinian,  about  the  middle  of  the  sixth 
century;  although  it  has  since  received  many  addi¬ 
tions  and  repairs.  The  alcove  over  the  altar  exhibits 

1)  See  Incidents  of  Travel  in  Arabia  Petraea,  etc.  by  Mr.  Stephens. 


144 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


in  mosaic  a  large  picture  of  the  Transfiguration,  said 
to  he  of  the  same  date  with  the  church  itself;  and 
also  portraits  of  Justinian  and  his  wife.  This  has 
been  copied  by  Laborde.  There  are  many  paintings 
of  saints,  great  and  small ;  and  the  church  is  richly 
furnished  with  silver  lamps  suspended  around  the  altar 
and  in  various  parts.  The  floor  is  very  neatly  paved 
with  marble  of  different  colours,  wrought  into  figures ; 
and  was  said  to  have  been  laid  only  some  sixty  or 
seventy  years  ago.1  The  ceiling  had  been  quite  lately 
repaired.  Back  of  the  altar  we  were  shown  the  cha¬ 
pel  covering  the  place  where  the  burning  bush  is  said 
to  have  stood,  now  regarded  as  the  most  holy  spot  in 
the  peninsula ;  and  as  Moses  put  off  his  shoes  in  order 
to  approach  it,  so  all  who  now  visit  it  must  do  the 
same.  The  spot  is  covered  with  silver,  and  the  whole 
chapel  richly  carpeted.  Near  by,  they  show  also  the 
well  from  which  (as  they  say)  Moses  watered  Jethro’s 
flocks.  Besides  the  great  church,  there  are  twenty- 
four  chapels2 3  in  different  parts  of  the  convent ;  some 
of  which  formerly  belonged  to  the  Latins  f  and  some 
also  earlier  to  the  Syrians,  Armenians,  and  Copts.  At 
present  all  are  in  the  hands  of  the  Greeks.  Several 
were  opened  for  us,  but  they  contain  nothing  remark¬ 
able;  and  the  daily  masses  which  were  formerly  read 
in  them,  are  now  neglected.  We  understood,  that 
mass  was  at  present  read  only  occasionally  on  festival 
days  in  some  of  the  more  important  ones.  Not  far 
from  the  great  church  stands  also  a  Muhammedan 
mosk,  large  enough  for  two  hundred  worshippers ;  a 


1)  Pococke  was  told  the  same 
in  1738  ;  Travels,  I.  p.  150.  fol. 

2)  Burckhardt  says  twenty- 
seven  ;  the  Prefect  of  the  Francis¬ 
cans,  seventeen, 

3)  When  Monconys  was  here, 
A.  D.  1647,  there  was  still  a  Ro¬ 
man  Catholic  chapel  near  the 


strangers’  rooms,  in  which  one  of 
his  companions  celebrated  Latin 
mass  ;  Voyages  I.  p.  227.  Sicard 
saw  it  in  1715,  with  a  picture  of 
Louis  XIV  ;  Nouv.  Memoires  des 
Miss,  dans  le  Levant,  I.  p.  8.  Po¬ 
cocke  also  speaks  of  it  in  1738; 
Travels  I.  p.  154.  fol. 


Mar.  25.] 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  CONVENT. 


145 


curious  memorial  of  the  tolerance  or  policy  of  former 
tenants  of  the  monastery.  It  is  now  fallen  into  disuse, 
the  convent  being  rarely  visited  by  Muslim  pilgrims.1 

We  were  now  taken  up  and  down  through  several 
of  the  little  courts  and  many  winding  corridors ;  the 
whole  convent  indeed  being  a  labyrinth  of  blind  pas¬ 
sages.  The  cells  of  the  monks  are  in  different  parts, 
along  these  corridors.  They  are  small  and  mean,  and 
wholly  without  comfort ;  being  furnished  simply  with 
a  mat  and  rug,  spread  upon  a  raised  part  of  the  floor 
for  a  bed,  and  perhaps  a  wooden  chair,  but  no  table. 
Shops,  or  rather  places  for  working  in  the  open  air,  we 
sa  w  in  several  parts,  with  tools  rude  and  more  ancient 
than  the  arms  that  now  wield  them.  They  make  use 
of  hand-mills ;  hut  have  also  a  larger  mill  turned  by 
a  donkey.  The  Archbishop’s  room,  as  it  is  called,  is 
large  and  better  than  the  rest,  having  been  once  toler¬ 
ably  furnished.  It  is  hung  with  several  portraits  ;  one 
a  likeness  of  the  present  Archbishop,  who  was  also 
until  recently  Patriarch  of  Constantinople.  In  this 
room  is  kept  a  beautiful  manuscript  of  the  four  Gos¬ 
pels,  written  on  vellum  in  double  columns  with  letters 
of  gold ;  the  form  of  the  letters  being  the  same  as  in 
the  Alexandrine  Manuscript.  The  Gospel  of  John 
stands  first ;  and  there  seemed  to  be  no  date.  It  was 
said  to  have  been  presented  to  the  convent  by  an  em¬ 
peror  Theodosius;  perhaps  the  third  of  that  name  in 
the  eighth  century.  We  were  also  shown  a  copy  of 
the  Greek  Psalter  written  on  twelve  duodecimo  pages 
by  a  female.  The  hand  was  neat;  hut  needed  a 
microscope  to  read  it. — Near  this  room  is  the  small 
church  said  (like  so  many  others)  to  have  been  built 
by  Helena. 

1)  According  to  some  old  Ara-  mosk  appears  to  have  existed  be- 
bic  records  preserved  in  the  con-  fore  A.  H.  783,  or  A.  D.  1381. 
vent  and  read  by  Burckhardt,  this  Travels  in  Syria,  etc.  p.  543. 

Vol.  I.  19 


146 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


The  library  is  in  another  quarter,  in  a  room  fur¬ 
nished  with  shutters,  which  like  the  door  are  very 
rarely  opened.  The  printed  hooks  are  mostly  in  Greek 
and  very  old ;  the  library  being  rich  in  Incunabula , 
but  possessing  very  few  modern  books,  except  some 
copies  of  the  Scriptures  from  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society,  presented  by  a  missionary.  These  rest 
here  now  in  the  same  undisturbed  quiet,  which  the 
Aldine  Septuagint  has  enjoyed  for  centuries.  I  made 
an  estimate  of  the  whole  number  of  books  by  counting 
the  shelves  and  the  volumes  on  two  or  three ;  and 
found  it  in  this  way  to  be  about  fifteen  hundred  volumes. 
Burckhardt  makes  fifteen  hundred  Greek  books,  and 
seven  hundred  Arabic  manuscripts ;  which  latter  he 
examined  without  finding  any  thing  of  much  value.1 
The  library  is  utterly  neglected ;  private  reading  form¬ 
ing  no  part  of  the  duties  or  pleasures  of  these  worthy 
fathers. 

With  evident  reluctance,  the  Superior  conducted 
us  to  the  tomb,  or  rather  charnel-house  of  the  convent, 
situated  near  the  middle  of  the  garden.  We  inferred 
from  his  conversation,  that  travellers  who  have  visited 
it,  have  sometimes  wounded  the  feelings  of  the  monks 
by  their  remarks,  or  by  exhibiting  disgust  or  horror 
at  the  ghastly  spectacle.  The  building  is  half  subter¬ 
ranean,  consisting  of  two  rooms  or  vaults ;  one  contain¬ 
ing  the  bones  of  priests  and  the  other  those  of  lay 
monks.  The  dead  bodies  are  first  laid  for  two  or  three 
years  on  iron  grates  in  another  vault ;  and  then  the 
skeletons  are  broken  up  and  removed  to  these  cham¬ 
bers.  Here  the  bones  are  laid  together  in  regular 
piles,  the  arms  in  one,  the  legs  in  another,  the  ribs  in 
a  third,  etc.  The  bones  of  priests  and  laymen  are 
piled  separately  in  the  different  vaults;  except  the 
skulls,  which  are  thrown  promiscuously  together.  The 

1)  Page  551. 


Mar.  25.] 


CHARNEL  HOUSE. 


147 


bones  of  the  Archbishops,  whose  bodies  are  always 
brought  hither  with  their  clothing  and  property  after 
death,  are  kept  separately  in  small  wooden  boxes. 
The  skeleton  of  one  saint  was  pointed  out  to  us ;  and 
also  those  of  two  ascetics,  who  are  said  to  have  lived 
as  hermits  in  the  adjacent  mountain,  wearing  shirts  of 
mail  next  the  body  and  binding  themselves  together 
by  the  leg  with  an  iron  chain,  parts  of  which  are  here 
preserved.1  This  is  emphatically  the  house  of  Death, 
where  he  has  now  sat  enthroned  for  centuries,  receiv¬ 
ing  every  year  new  victims,  until  the  chambers  are 
nearly  filled  up  with  this  assembly  of  the  dead.  It 
must  be  a  solemn  feeling,  one  would  think,  with  which 
the  monks  repair  to  this  spot,  and  look  upon  these  re¬ 
lics  of  mortality,  their  predecessors,  their  brethren,  their 
daily  companions,  all  present  here  before  them  in  their 
last  earthly  shape  of  ghastliness ;  with  whom  too  their 
own  bones  must  so  soon  in  like  manner  be  mingled 
piecemeal,  and  be  gazed  upon  perhaps  like  them  by 
strangers  from  a  distant  world.  I  know  of  no  place 
where  the  living  and  the  dead  come  in  closer  contact 
with  each  other ;  or  where  the  dread  summons  to  pre¬ 
pare  for  death,  rises  with  a  stronger  power  before  the 
mind.  Yet  the  monks  seemed  to  regard  the  whole  as 
an  every-day  matter,  to  which  their  minds  have  be¬ 
come  indifferent  from  long  habit,  if  not  from  levity. 
There  was  a  stillness  in  their  manner,  but  no  solemnity. 

In  the  afternoon  we  were  left  undisturbed  to  the 
enjoyment  of  our  own  thoughts,  and  our  own  more 
private  exercises  of  devotion.  Thus  passed  to  us  the 
Christian  Sabbath  amid  this  stern  sublimity  of  nature, 
where  the  Jewish  Sabbath  was  of  old  proclaimed  to 


1)  As  Burckhardt  heard  the 
story,  these  were  two  “  Indian 
princes ;”  p.  564.  Monconys  in 
1647  has  it,  “  two  sons  of  a  king  of 
Ethiopia,”  I.  p.  235 ;  and  Neitz- 


schitz  in  1634,  “  two  brothers,  sons 
of  an  emperor  of  Constantinople,” 
Welt-Beschauung,  p.  168.  So  also 
Van  Egmondand  Heyman  about 
A.  D.  1720 ;  Reizen  II.  p.  174. 


148 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


Israel.  We  were  here  in  the  midst  of  one  of  the  oldest 
monastic  communities  on  earth ;  where  however  all 
we  saw  and  heard  tended  only  to  confirm  the  melan¬ 
choly  truth,  that  through  the  burden  of  human  infirm¬ 
ity,  even  the  holiest  and  most  spirit-stirring  scenes 
soon  lose  by  habit  their  power  to  elevate  and  calm 
the  soul. 

The  Prior  returned  to  us  in  the  evening,  as  we  sat 
at  tea,  and  accepted  the  cup  we  proffered  him,  on  con¬ 
dition  that  it  should  be  without  milk ;  it  being  now  the 
fast  of  Lent,  during  which  the  tasting  of  every  animal 
substance  is  strictly  avoided.  A  tea-spoon  which  had 
been  dipped  in  milk,  was  sent  out  to  he  washed  for  his 
use  ;  but  in  order  to  he  on  the  safe  side,  he  chose  even 
then  to  stir  his  tea  with  the  handle  of  the  spoon. 

Monday ,  March  2 6th.  Our  plan  had  been  laid  to 
devote  this  and  the  following  day  to  the  ascent  of 
Jehel  Musa  and  St.  Catharine ;  and  the  Superior  had 
taken  us  into  such  favour,  as  to  announce  his  intention 
of  accompanying  us  at  least  for  the  first  day.  This, 
he  said,  was  an  honour  he  had  never  shown  to  any 
traveller,  except  a  French  Archbishop;  whose  name 
and  title  however  we  found  in  the  Album  as  a  Roman 
Catholic  Bishop  in  partibus  from  Syria.1  Nor  was 
this  civility  on  the  part  of  the  Superior  perhaps  quite 
so' disinterested,  as  he  was  willing  to  have  it  appear  ; 
for  it  came  out,  that  he  wished  to  take  along  two 
younger  monks,  new  comers,  in  order  to  make  them  ac¬ 
quainted  with  the  holy  places,  so  that  they  might 
hereafter  accompany  travellers  and  pilgrims  as  guides ; 
there  being  at  present  only  one  monk  besides  the  Prior 
who  knew  them  all,  and  he  old  and  infirm.  It  was 
arranged  that  we  should  to-day  visit  Jebel  Musa  and 

1)  The  Prior  forgot,  it  seems,  summit  of  the  mountain  the  year 
that  he  had  accompanied  Schubert  before  ;  see  Schubert’s  Reise,  II. 
and  his  party  in  like  manner  to  the  p.  312. 


Mar.  26.] 


ASCENT  OF  JEBEL  MUSA. 


149 


the  more  northern  brow  of  Horeb;  sleep  at  the  con¬ 
vent  el-Arba’in ;  and  thence  ascend  St.  Catharine  to¬ 
morrow.  Accordingly,  the  provisions  and  other  things 
for  the  night  were  sent  round  through  the  valley  to 
el-Arba’in,  while  we  took  with  us  over  the  mountain 
only  such  articles  as  were  necessary  for  the  day.  We 
made  in  all  a  larger  party  than  was  desirable ;  our¬ 
selves  and  servants,  the  Superior  with  the  two  novi¬ 
ciates  and  pilgrim  who  had  passed  us  on  the  way, 
(the  two  former,  it  seemed,  being  the  persons  to  he 
initiated  as  future  guides,)  and  two  Arabs  of  the  Je- 
beliyeh,  serfs  of  the  convent,  who  carried  the  articles 
we  took  with  us.  The  convent  has  the  monopoly  of 
providing  guides  and  attendants  for  all  persons  visit¬ 
ing  the  sacred  places ;  and  employs  for  this  purpose 
its  own  serfs,  paying  them  a  trifle  in  grain  or  bread, 
and  charging  to  travellers  a  much  higher  rate.  There 
are  two  regular  Ghafirs  for  travellers,  or  guides  gen¬ 
eral  ;  one  an  old  man,  ’Aid,  who  was  with  us  only  to¬ 
day,  and  the  other  Muhammed,  quite  a  youth.  Several 
Arab  children  also  followed  us  up  the  mountain,  with 
no  other  motive  than  to  get  a  hit  of  bread  for  their 
pains. 

We  had  risen  early  in  order  to  set  off  in  good  sea¬ 
son  ;  hut  the  variety  of  preparation  and  some  dilato¬ 
riness  on  the  part  of  the  Superior,  delayed  us  until  a 
late  hour.  We  at  length  issued  from  the  N.  W.  en¬ 
trance  of  the  garden  at  74  o’clock,  and  turning  to  the 
left,  passed  along  above  and  hack  of  the  convent.  The 
route  ascends  through  a  ravine  on  the  South  of  the 
convent,  running  up  obliquely  through  the  perpen¬ 
dicular  wall  of  the  mountain;  and  the  course  from  the 
convent  almost  to  the  head  of  this  ravine  is  due  South. 
The  path  leads  for  some  time  obliquely  across  the  de¬ 
bris  ;  and  where  it  begins  to  grow  steep,  has  been  in 
part  loosely  laid  with  large  stones,  like  a  Swiss  moun- 


150 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


tain-road ;  which  stones  serve  too  as  a  sort  of  steps. 
In  some  places  likewise  there  are  more  regular  steps, 
hut  merely  of  rough  stones  in  their  natural  state.  It 
is  usually  reported  that  there  were  once  regular  steps 
all  the  way  to  the  summit;  hut  this,  like  so  many 
other  stories,  would  seem  to  be  only  an  exaggeration 
of  travellers.  At  least  every  appearance  at  present 
testifies  to  the  contrary.  In  many  parts  steps  would 
he  unnecessary ;  and  then  there  is  no  trace  of  them. 
In  other  places  where  they  are  most  regular,  some  are 
six  inches  high  and  others  nearly  or  quite  two  feet. 
Hence,  any  attempt  to  estimate  the  height  of  the 
mountain  from  the  pretended  number  of  the  steps,  as 
has  been  done  by  Shaw  and  others,  can  only  be  futile. 
After  twenty-five  minutes  we  rested  at  a  fine  cold 
spring  under  an  impending  rock  ;  the  water  of  which 
is  said  to  be  carried  down  to  the  convent  by  an  aque¬ 
duct.  It  is  called  Ma’yan  el-Jebel,  the  Mountain¬ 
spring.  At  8h  25'  we  reached  a  small  rude  chapel, 
still  in  the  ravine,  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  of  the 
Ikonomos.  Here  the  monks  lighted  tapers  and  burnt 
incense,  as  they  did  in  all  the  chapels  to  which  we 
came  afterwards.  The  Superior,  being  sixty-five  years 
of  age  and  somewhat  heavy,  had  to  rest  often ;  and 
this  made  our  progress  slow.  Here  and  at  all  the 
subsequent  holy  places,  while  we  rested,  he  related 
the  legend  attached  to  each  spot. 

The  story  belonging  to  this  chapel  was  as  follows  : 
In  former  days,  he  said,  the  monks  were  so  annoyed 
with  fleas,  and  had  so  few  pilgrims,  that  they  deter¬ 
mined  to  abandon  the  convent.  They  all  went  in 
procession  to  make  their  last  visit  to  the  holy  places 
of  the  mountain;  and  when  near  the  top,  the  Virgin 
suddenly  appeared  to  them,  bidding  them  not  to  de¬ 
part,  for  pilgrims  should  never  fail,  fleas  should  disap¬ 
pear,  and  the  plague  should  never  visit  them.  At  the 


Mar.  26.] 


ASCENT  OF  JEBEL  MUSA. 


151 


same  time  that  they  thus  saw  the  Virgin  higher  up  the 
mountain,  she  appeared  also  to  the  Ikonomos  on  this 
spot.  When  the  monks  returned  home,  they  found  a 
caravan  of  pilgrims  actually  arrived;  the  plague  has 
never  since  been  here ;  and  (according  to  them)  fleas 
do  not  exist  in  the  convent ;  though  in  this  latter  par¬ 
ticular,  our  own  experience  did  not  exactly  justify  so 
unconditional  a  praise  of  the  Virgin.1 

The  path  now  turns  nearly  West  and  passes  up 
out  of  the  ravine  by  a  steep  ascent.  At  the  top  is  a 
portal  which  we  reached  at  8f  o’clock ;  and  ten  min¬ 
utes  afterwards  another,  through  which  is  the  entrance 
to  the  small  plain  or  basin,  which  here  occupies  the 
top  of  the  lofty  ridge  between  the  valley  of  the  con¬ 
vent  and  that  of  el-Leja.  At  these  portals,  in  the 
palmy  days  of  pilgrimage,  priests  were  stationed  to 
confess  pilgrims  on  their  way  up  the  mountain  ;  and 
all  the  old  travellers  relate  that  no  Jew  could  pass 
through  them.  At  this  point  we  saw  for  the  first 
time  the  peak  of  Sinai  or  Jebel  Musa  on  our  left,  and 
the  higher  summit  of  St.  Catharine  in  the  S.  W. 
beyond  the  deep  valley  el-Leja.  At  9  o’clock  we 
reached  the  well  and  tall  cypress-tree  in  the  plain  or 
basin,  where  we  rested  for  a  time  ;  the  Prior  distribu¬ 
ting  to  all  a  portion  of  bread.  After  this  allowance, 
the  Arab  children  who  had  thus  far  hung  about  us, 
went  back.  Burckhardt  speaks  of  this  well  as  a 
stone  tank,  which  receives  the  winter  rains.  We  un- 


1)  The  old  travellers  of  the  fif¬ 
teenth  and  sixteenth  centuries, 
Tucher,  Breydenbach,  P.  Fabri, 
Wormbser,  and  others,  relate  the 
same  story,  almost  as  if  they  co¬ 
pied  one  from  another ;  and  make 
it  refer  to  “  serpents,  toads,  and 
other  poisonous  reptiles  and  ver¬ 
min.”  But  de  Suchem  in  A.  D. 
1336 — 50,  heard  it  of  “  gnats, 
wasps,  and  fleas  j”  though  without 


any  procession  or  vision ;  and  so 
powerful  was  the  protection  af¬ 
forded  in  those  days,  that  although 
these  insects  were  very  trouble¬ 
some  without  the  walls  of  the  con¬ 
vent,  yet  if  brought  within,  they 
died  immediately ;  Reissb.  des 
heil.  Landes,  p.  840.  William  of 
Baldensel  (A.  D.  1336)  professes 
to  have  seen  them  die  when  thus 
brought  in,  with  his  own  eyes. 


152 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


derstood  it  at  the  time  to  be  a  well  of  living  water, 
and  such  is  its  appearance,  being  of  very  considerable 
depth  and  regularly  stoned  up  in  the  usual  form  of  a 
deep  well.  Near  by  is  a  rock  with  many  Arabic  in¬ 
scriptions,  recording  the  visits  of  pilgrims.  The  lone 
cypress-tree  with  its  dark  foliage  is  quite  an  interest¬ 
ing  addition  to  this  wild  spot.1 

This  little  plain  is  about  twelve  or  thirteen  hun¬ 
dred  feet  above  the  vallies  below,  extending  quite 
across  the  ridge;  and  from  it  towards  the  West  a 
path  descends  to  the  convent  el-Arba’in  in  Wady  el- 
Leja.  On  the  right,  clusters  of  rocks  and  peaks  from 
two  to  four  hundred  feet  higher  than  this  basin,  ex¬ 
tend  for  nearly  two  miles  towards  the  N.  N.  W.  and 
terminate  in  the  hold  front  which  overhangs  the  plain 
er-Rahah  N.  of  the  convent.  This  is  the  present  Horeb 
of  Christians.  On  the  left,  due  S.  from  the  well,  rises 
the  higher  peak  of  Sinai,  or  Jebel  Musa,  about  seven 
hundred  feet  above  the  basin  and  nearly  a  mile  dis¬ 
tant.  A  few  rods  from  the  well,  where  the  ascent  of 
Sinai  begins,  is  a  low  rude  building  containing  the 
chapels  of  Elijah  and  Elisha.  Here  was  evidently 
once  a  small  monastery ;  and  the  older  travellers  speak 
also  of  a  chapel  of  the  Virgin.  In  that  of  Elijah  the 
monks  show  near  the  altar  a  hole  just  large  enough 
for  a  man’s  body,  which  they  say  is  the  cave  where 
the  prophet  dwelt  in  Horeb.2  Tapers  were  lighted 
and  incense  burnt  in  both  these  chapels.  The  ascent 


1)  In  Niebuhr’s  time  there  were 
here  two  large  trees ;  and  the 
Prefect  of  the  Franciscans  in 
Cairo  in  1722,  mentions  also  here, 
“two  cypress-trees  and  two  olive- 
trees.”  The  latter  also  speaks  of 
the  well  as  a  “  collection  of  water 
made  by  the  winter  snows  and 
rains.”  The  journal  of  this  Pre¬ 
fect  is  first  mentioned  by  Pococke 
(I.  p.  147.  fol.)  and  was  afterwards 


translated  into  English  and  pub¬ 
lished  by  Clayton,  Bishop  of 
Clogher,  in  a  Letter  to  the  Society 
of  Antiquaries,  Lond.  1753.  It  is 
also  appended  to  the  recent  edi¬ 
tions  of  Maundr ell’s  Journey  to 
Jerusalem,  etc. 

2)  1  Kings  xix.  8,  9.  The  ele¬ 
vation  of  this  building  above  the 
convent  in  the  valley  below,  is  giv¬ 
en  by  Schubert  at  1400  Paris  feet. 


Mar.  26.] 


SUMMIT  OF  JEBEL  MUSA. 


153 


hence  is  steeper,  though  not  difficult.  There  are  steps 
for  a  great  part  of  the  way,  merely  rough  stones 
thrown  together ;  and  in  no  part  of  the  ascent  of  the 
whole  mountain  are  they  hewn,  or  cut  in  the  rock,  as 
is  said  by  Burckhardt.1 

Leaving  the  chapels  at  half  past  9  o’clock,  we  as¬ 
cended  slowly,  not  failing  to  see  the  track  of  Muham- 
med’s  camel  in  the  rock  by  the  way ;  and  reached  the 
summit  of  Jebel  Musa  at  twenty  minutes  past  ten. 
Here  is  a  small  area  of  huge  rocks,  about  eighty  feet 
in  diameter,  highest  towards  the  East,  where  is  a  little 
chapel  almost  in  ruins,  formerly  divided  between  the 
Greeks  and  Latins;  while  towards  the  S.  W.  about 
forty  feet  distant  stands  a  small  ruined  mosk.  The 
summit  and  also  the  body  of  this  part  of  the  mountain 
are  of  coarse  gray  granite.2  On  the  rocks  are  many  in¬ 
scriptions  in  Arabic,  Greek,  and  Armenian,  the  work 
of  pilgrims.  In  the  chapel  are  the  names  of  many 
travellers ;  and  I  found  here  a  pencil  note  of  Ruppell’s 
observations,  May  7th,  1831 ;  marking  the  time  !2h  15'; 
Barom.  2V  7/  6 ;  Therm.  13i°  R.  or  62°  F.  At  half 
past  ten  o’clock  my  Thermometer  stood  in  the  chapel 
at  60°  F. — The  height  of  this  peak  above  the  sea, 
according  to  the  observations  of  Ruppell,  compared 
with  simultaneous  ones  at  Tur,  is  7035  Paris  feet ;  and 
its  elevation  above  the  convent  el-Arba’in  about  1670 
feet.3  From  it  the  peak  of  St.  Catharine  bears  S.  44° 


1)  Page  565. 

2)  Pococke  correctly  remarks, 
that  the  “north  part  of  Sinai  (Jebel 
Musa)  is  of  red  granite  for  above 
half  way  up ;  all  the  rest  being  a 
granite  of  a  yellowish  ground,  with 
small  black  grains  in  it,  and  the 
mountain  at  a  distance  appears  of 
two  colours  I.  p.  147.  fob  This 
difference  of  colour  is  especially 
striking  as  seen  from  the  valley 
el-Leja. 

VOL.  I.  ‘ 


3)  RuppelPs  Reise  in  Abyssi- 
nien,  I.  pp.  118,  124.  I  follow  here 
RuppelPs  measurements  through¬ 
out,  because  they  alone  are  found¬ 
ed  on  corresponding  observations 
on  the  sea-coast  at  Tur.  Schu¬ 
bert  gives  the  height  of  Sinai  at 
6796‘4  Paris  feet,  or  2071  feet 
above  the  convent  in  Wady 
Shu’eib;  Russegger  at  7097  Paris 
feet,  or  1982  feet  above  the  same 
convent. 


154 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


W.  a  thousand  feet  higher  ;  and  Ras  es-Sufsafeh,  the 
highest  among  the  peaks  near  the  front  of  Horeb,  N. 
22°  W.1 

My  first  and  predominant  feeling  while  upon  this 
summit,  was  that  of  disappointment.  Although  from 
our  examination  of  the  plain  er-Rahah  below,  and  its 
correspondence  to  the  scriptural  narrative,  we  had 
arrived  at  the  general  conviction  that  the  people  of 
Israel  must  have  been  collected  on  it  to  receive  the 
law ;  yet  we  still  had  cherished  a  lingering  hope  or 
feeling,  that  there  might  after  all  be  some  foundation 
for  the  long  series  of  monkish  tradition,  which  for  at 
least  fifteen  centuries  has  pointed  out  the  summit  on 
which  we  now  stood,  as  the  spot  where  the  ten  com¬ 
mandments  were  so  awfully  proclaimed.  But  Scrip¬ 
tural  narrative  and  monkish  tradition  are  very  different 
things ;  and  while  the  former  has  a  distinctness  and 
definiteness,  which  through  all  our  journeyings  ren¬ 
dered  the  Bible  our  best  guide-book,  we  found  the  lat¬ 
ter  not  less  usually  and  almost  regularly  to  be  but  a 
baseless  fabric.  In  the  present  case,  there  is  not  the 
slightest  reason  for  supposing  that  Moses  had  any 
thing  to  do  with  the  summit  which  now  bears  his 
name.  It  is  three  miles  distant  from  the  plain  on  which 
the  Israelites  must  have  stood ;  and  hidden  from  it  by 
the  intervening  peaks  of  the  modern  Horeb.  No  part 
of  the  plain  is  visible  from  the  summit ;  nor  are  the  bot¬ 
toms  of  the  adjacent  vallies ;  nor  is  any  spot  to  be  seen 
around  it,  where  the  people  could  have  been  assembled. 
The  only  point  in  which  it  is  not  immediately  sur- 


1)  Other  bearings  from  Jebel 
Mfisa  were  as  follows  :  Um  Lauz, 
a  peak  beyond  Wady  Seb&’iyeh, 
N.  40°  E.  Um  ’Alawy,  connected 
with  smaller  peaks  running  to¬ 
wards  the  eastern  gulf,  N.  73°  E. 
Abu  Mas’ftd,  west  of  Wady 
Wa’rah  S.  36°  E.  Jebel  Humr, 


S.  87°  W.  Jebel  Tinia,  or  Sumr 
et-Tinia,  N.  62°  W.  Jebel  Fu- 
reia’,  north  end,  N.  23°  W.  Jebel 
ed-Deir  N.  21°  E.  Jebel  ez- 
Zebir,  east  end,  N.  35°  W.  el- 
Benat,  or  el-Jauzeh,  N.  45°  W. 
Island  of  Tir&n,  S.  31°  E. 


Mar.  26.] 


SUMMIT  OF  JEBEL  MUSA. 


155 


rounded  by  high  mountains,  is  towards  the  S.  E.  where 
it  sinks  down  precipitously  to  a  tract  of  naked  gravelly 
hills.  Here,  just  at  its  foot,  is  the  head  of  a  small  val¬ 
ley,  Wady  es-Seba’iyeh,  running  toward  the  N.  E.  be¬ 
yond  the  Mount  of  the  Cross  into  Wady  esh-Sheikh ; 
and  of  another  not  larger,  called  el-Wa’rah,  running  S. 
E.  to  the  Wady  Nusb  of  the  Gulf  of  ’Akabah ;  but  both 
of  these  together  hardly  afford  a  tenth  part  of  the 
space  contained  in  er-Rahah  and  Wady  esh-Sheikh. 
In  the  same  direction  is  seen  the  route  to  Shurrn ;  and, 
beyond,  a  portion  of  the  Gulf  of  'Akabah  and  the  little 
island  Tiran ;  while  more  to  the  right  and  close  at  hand 
is  the  head  of  el-Leja  among  the  hills.  No  other  part 
of  the  Gulf  of  ’Akabah  is  visible  ;  though  the  moun¬ 
tains  beyond  it  are  seen.1 

Towards  the  S.  W.  and  W.  tower  the  ridges  of 
St.  Catharine  and  Tinia,  cutting  off  the  view  of  the 
Gulf  of  Suez  and  the  whole  Western  region;  so  that 
neither  Serbal  on  the  right,  nor  the  loftier  Um  Shau- 
mer  towards  the  left,  are  at  all  visible  from  this  peak 
of  Sinai.2  Indeed  in  almost  every  respect  the  view 
from  this  point  is  confined,  and  is  far  less  extensive  and 
imposing  than  that  from  the  summit  of  St  Catharine. 
Only  the  table-land  on  the  Mountain  of  the  Cross, 
is  here  seen  nearer  and  to  better  advantage  across 
the  narrow  valley  of  Shu’eib.  Neither  the  convent 
from  which  we  had  come,  nor  that  of  el-Arba’in,  both 


1)  Brown  speaks  of  having 
seen  the  whole  length  of  the 
Gulf  of  ’Akabah  from  Sinai;  but 
this  is  an  impossibility.  Travels, 
chap.  XIV.  p.  179. 

2)  Yet  Laborde  professes  to 
have  seen  from  it  Serb&l,  Um 
Shaumer,  and  the  mountains  of 
Africa  beyond.  It  must  have  been 
with  ‘the  mind’s  eye.’  Voyage 
en  Arab.  Pet.  p.  68.  Engl.  p.  252. 
A  similar  exaggerated  account  is 
given  by  Russegger ;  see  Berg- 


haus’  Annalen,  Marz  1839,  p.  420, 
seq. — Ruppell  correctly  remarks  : 
“  The  prospect  from  the  peak  of 
Sinai  is  limited  in  the  East,  South, 
and  West,  by  higher  mountains; 
and  only  towards  the  North,  one 
looks  out  over  a  widely  extended 
landscape ;”  Reise  in  Abyssinien, 
I.  p.  118.  Burckhardt  was  pre¬ 
vented  by  a  thick  fog  from  seeing 
even  the  nearest  mountains  ;  Tra¬ 
vels,  etc.  p.  566. 


156 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


lying  in  the  deep  v allies  below,  were  visible.  To  add 
to  our  disappointment,  old  ’Aid,  the  bead-guide,  who 
had  been  selected  expressly  in  order  to  tell  us  the 
names  of  the  mountains  and  objects  around,  proved  to 
know  very  little  about  them,  and  often  answered  at 
random.  In  short,  the  visit  to  the  summit  of  Jebel 
Musa,  was  to  me  the  least  satisfactory  incident  in  our 
whole  sojourn  at  Mount  Sinai. 

We  remained  upon  the  summit  nearly  two  and  a 
half  hours.  Leaving  it  at  12f  o’clock,  we  returned  to 
the  cypress-tree  and  well  near  the  chapel  of  Elijah. 
From  this  point  a  path  leads  South  of  West  over  the 
little  plain,  and  descends  partly  by  steps  to  the  con¬ 
vent  el-Arba’in  in  Wady  el-Leja.  We  determined, 
however,  to  visit  the  northern  brow  of  Horeb,  which 
overlooks  the  plain  er-Rahah;  and  took  a  route  to¬ 
wards  the  N.  N.  W.  in  order  to  reach  it.  As  we  left 
the  well  for  this  purpose  at  If o’clock,  the  clouds  which 
had  been  gathering  for  some  time,  threatened  to  drench 
us  with  a  shower  of  rain.  The  drops  began  to  fall 
thinly  but  heavily;  and  for  a  while  we  hoped  that 
Besharah’s  entreaties  for  rain  might  have  been  ful¬ 
filled;  even  at  the  expense  of  our  being  counted  as 
prophets  by  the  Arabs,  and  getting  a  wet  skin  for  our¬ 
selves.  But  the  clouds  soon  passed  away,  and  the 
desert  remained  parched  and  thirsty  as  before. 

The  path  was  wild  and  rugged,  leading  over  rocks 
and  winding  through  ravines  among  low  peaks.  In 
fifteen  minutes  we  came  to  a  small  round  basin  among 
the  hills,  with  a  bed  of  soil  full  of  shrubs ;  where  also 
were  a  holly-hock  and  hawthorn,  and  evident  traces 
of  an  artificial  reservoir  for  water,  which  was  said 
formerly  to  have  been  carried  down  to  the  convent. 
Here  stands  a  small  chapel  of  St.  John  the  Baptist. 
Not  far  off  are  the  cells  of  several  anchorites  cut  in 
the  rock.  Twenty  minutes  further  is  another  larger 


Mar.  26.] 


H0REB. 


157 


basin,  surrounded  by  twelve  peaks,  and  the  bottom 
enclosed  by  a  low  wall ;  showing  that  it  was  once 
tilled  as  a  garden.  At  2  o’clock  we  reached  a  third 
basin,  still  deeper  and  more  romantic,  surrounded  by 
a  like  number  of  higher  peaks,  one  of  which  is  Ras 
es-Sufsafeh,  the  highest  in  this  part  of  the  mountain. 
A  narrow  fissure  runs  out  northward  from  this  basin 
towards  the  plain,  through  which  the  mountain  may 
be  ascended.  Here  a  willow  and  two  hawthorns 
were  growing,  with  many  shrubs ;  and  in  all  this  part 
of  the  mountains  were  great  quantities  of  the  fragrant 
plant  Ja'deh ,  which  the  monks  call  hyssop.  Here  is 
a  small  chapel  dedicated  to  the  Virgin  of  the  Zone. 
Near  by  we  found  a  pair  of  horns  of  the  Beden  or 
Ibex,  left  behind  perhaps  by  some  hunter. 

While  the  monks  were  here  employed  in  lighting 
tapers  and  burning  incense,  we  determined  to  scale 
the  almost  inaccessible  peak  of  es-Sufsafeh  before  us, 
in  order  to  look  out  upon  the  plain,  and  judge  for 
ourselves  as  to  the  adaptedness  of  this  part  of  the 
mount  to  the  circumstances  of  the  Scriptural  history. 
This  cliff  rises  some  five  hundred  feet  above  the  basin; 
and  the  distance  to  the  summit  is  more  than  half  a  mile. 
We  first  attempted  to  climb  the  side  in  a  direct  course; 
but  found  the  rock  so  smooth  and  precipitous,  that 
after  some  falls  and  more  exposures,  we  were  obliged 
to  give  it  up,  and  clamber  upwards  along  a  steep  ravine 
by  a  more  northern  and  circuitous  course.  From  the 
head  of  this  ravine,  we  were  able  to  climb  around  the 
face  of  the  northern  precipice  and  reach  the  top,  along 
the  deep  hollows  worn  in  the  granite  by  the  weather 
during  the  lapse  of  ages,  which  give  to  this  part,  as 
seen  from  below,  the  appearance  of  architectural 
ornament. 

The  extreme  difficulty  and  even  danger  of  the 
ascent,  was  well  rewarded  by  the  prospect  that  now 


158 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


opened  before  us.  The  whole  plain  er-Rahah  lay 
spread  out  beneath  our  feet,  with  the  adjacent  Wadys 
and  mountains ;  while  W ady  esh-Sheildi  on  the  right, 
and  the  recess  on  the  left,  both  connected  with,  and 
opening  broadly  from  er-Rahah,  presented  an  area 
which  serves  nearly  to  double  that  of  the  plain.  Our 
conviction  was  strengthened,  that  here  or  on  some  one 
of  the  adjacent  cliffs  was  the  spot,  where  the  Lord 
“  descended  in  fire”  and  proclaimed  the  law.  Here 
lay  the  plain  where  the  whole  congregation  might  be 
assembled;  here  wTas  the  mount  that  could  be  ap¬ 
proached  and  touched,  if  not  forbidden ;  and  here  the 
mountain  brow,  where  alone  the  lightnings  and  the 
thick  cloud  would  be  visible,  and  the  thunders  and  the 
voice  of  the  trump  be  heard,  when  the  Lord  “  came 
down  in  the  sight  of  all  the  people  upon  Mount  Sinai.” 
We  gave  ourselves  up  to  the  impressions  of  the  awful 
scene  ;  and  read  with  a  feeling  that  will  never  be  for¬ 
gotten,  the  sublime  account  of  the  transaction  and  the 
Commandments  there  promulgated,  in  the  original 
words  as  recorded  by  the  great  Hebrew  legislator.1 

Between  es-Sufsafeh  and  the  plain  are  still  some 
lower  peaks,  overhanging  the  latter  more  directly, 
which  we  were  desirous  to  visit ;  but  the  time  did  not 
permit.  Descending  therefore  to  our  companions,  who 
were  in  no  hurry,  we  returned  to  the  second  basin 
above  mentioned,  and  thence  at  3h  45'  took  a  path 
more  to  the  right.  At  4  o’clock  we  came  to  a  small 
church  on  the  western  brow  of  the  ridge,  dedicated  to 
St.  Panteleemon.  The  chapel  of  St.  Anne  mentioned 
by  Pococke  and  older  travellers,  we  did  not  see. 
Hence  a  long  and  in  some  parts  steep  descent  about 
S.  W.  brought  us  at  a  quarter  past  5  o’clock  to  the 
convent  el-Arba’in,  where  we  were  to  lodge. 


1)  Exod.  xix.  9 — 25.  xx.  1 — 21. 


Mar.  26.]  CONVENT  EL-ARBA’IN.  159 

This  monastery  is  said  to  have  received  its  name, 
el-Arba’in,  “the  Forty,”  from  the  circumstance  that 
the  Arabs  once  took  it  by  surprise,  and  killed  the  forty 
monks  who  were  its  inmates.  Hence  it  is  called  by 
the  older  travellers  the  Convent  of  the  Forty  Saints  or 
Martyrs.1  Tradition  has  forgotten  the  time  when  this 
event  took  place  ;  hut  the  story  probably  refers  to  the 
massacre  of  forty  hermits  around  Sinai  near  the  close 
of  the  fourth  century.2  A  large  plantation  of  olive- 
trees  extends  far  above  and  below  the  monastery 
along  the  valley,  which  is  narrow  like  that  of  Shu’- 
eib,  but  longer  and  less  desert.  Just  around  the  build¬ 
ings  is  also  a  garden  of  other  fruit-trees,  in  which 
apple  and  apricot-trees  were  in  blossom ;  and  not  far 
off  is  a  small  grove  of  tall  poplars,  here  cultivated  for 
timber.  In  this  garden  too  was  a  rill  of  water ;  which 
however  was  lost  after  a  few  rods.  The  convent,  as 
such,  has  been  deserted  for  several  centuries ;  yet  two 
or  three  of  the  monks  usually  reside  here  for  a  time 
every  summer;  though  even  this  custom  had  been 
neglected  for  the  last  three  years.  A  family  of  Jebe- 
liyeh,  or  serfs,  was  here  to  keep  the  garden.  As  we 
entered,  the  sweet  voice  of  a  prattling  Arab  child 
struck  my  ear,  and  made  my  heart  thrill,  as  it  recalled 
the  thoughts  of  home. — The  elevation  of  this  spot 
above  the  sea,  was  found  by  Riippell  to  be  5366  Paris 
feet.3 

A  large  room,  the  best  in  the  building,  though 
lighted  only  by  the  door,  was  assigned  to  us,  in  which 


1)  Tucher  of  Nurnberg  relates 
this  story  in  A.  D.  1480 ;  as  also 
Baumgarten  in  1507,  lib.  I.  c. 
24.  These  travellers  found  the 
convent  deserted,  as  now,  except 
by  two  or  three  monks. 

2)  See  further  on,  under  the 

head  of  “  Sinai  in  the  early  Chris- 


3)  Reise  in  Abyssinien,  I.  p. 
124.  From  a  comparison  with 
Schubert’s  measurements,  it  would 
appear,  that  el-Arba’in  lies  about 
400  Paris  feet  higher  than  the 
other  convent.  This  difference, 
however,  seems  to  me  to  be  too 
great. 


160 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


our  beds  were  already  spread  on  a  layer  of  fragrant 
herbs.  A  fire  was  lighted  in  a  corner ;  and  we  found 
it  quite  comfortable,  although  the  thermometer  stood 
at  65°  F.  Indeed  an  Arab  has  no  idea  of  passing  a 
night  without  fire  at  any  season.  The  Superior  and 
his  monks  occupied  a  room  in  another  part  of  the 
building.  The  good  father  spent  the  evening  in  our 
apartment,  and  was  very  social  and  communicative. 
He  had  borne  the  walk  of  to-day  so  well,  that  he  was 
determined  to  accompany  us  to-morrow  to  the  summit 
of  St.  Catharine.  We  had  here  a  curious  instance  of 
the  respect  in  which  he  is  held  by  his  Arab  serfs.  He 
had  pulled  off  his  shoes  and  was  sitting  with  bare  feet, 
(for  he  like  the  other  monks  wore  no  stockings,)  when 
the  old  guide  ’Aid  came  in  to  bid  good  night,  and  per¬ 
ceiving  his  situation  suddenly  kneeled  down  and  kiss¬ 
ed  his  toe.  Indeed,  it  seemed  to  be  quite  an  occasion 
of  festivity  with  these  Arabs,  to  meet  the  patriarchal 
old  man  so  far  abroad  out  of  the  convent  walls. 

Tuesday ,  March  27th .  We  started  from  our  fra¬ 
grant  couch  at  early  dawn,  in  order  to  set  off  in  good 
season  for  the  mountain.  But  here,  as  in  so  many 
other  cases  where  aught  was  depending  on  Arabs,  we 
found  it  impossible  to  £  keep  the  word  of  promise’  to 
our  hopes.  Old  ’Aid,  the  guide,  gave  out  at  starting ; 
and  his  place  had  to  be  supplied  by  a  youth,  Salim, 
who  overtook  us  on  the  way,  and  proved  a  better 
guide  than  the  old  man.  We  thought  too  we  perceived 
some  slight  symptoms  of  abatement  in  the  good  Supe¬ 
rior’s  zeal  for  undertaking  the  more  arduous  task  which 
awaited  us  to-day ;  and  at  our  suggestion  he  concluded 
to  remain  and  wait  our  return. 

At  length  we  issued  from  the  garden  at  ten  minutes 
past  6  o’clock,  and  proceeded  S.  W.  by  S.  up  a  ravine 
which  comes  down  from  the  side  of  St.  Catharine, 
called  Shuk  Musa,  ‘  Cleft  of  Moses,’  from  a  deep  rent 


I 


Mar.  27.]  ASCENT  OF  ST.  CATHARINE.  161 

in  the  mountain  at  its  head.  At  ten  minutes  from  the 
convent  and  before  beginning  to  ascend,  the  path 
passes  between  two  large  rocks,  both  having  Silicate 
inscriptions,  and  one  of  them  quite  covered  with  them* 
These  Burckhardt  did  not  see ;  for  he  says  expressly, 
that  there  are  none  in  el-Lej  a  higher  up  than  the  rock 
of  Moses,  which  lies  at  some  distance  below  el-Arba’in. 
We  found  none  afterwards.  The  ravine  soon  becomes 
narrow  and  precipitous,  and  the  way  exceedingly  dif¬ 
ficult  ;  the  path  leading  over  stones  and  rocks  in  their 
natural  state,  which  have  never  been  removed  nor  laid 
more  evenly.  Indeed,  we  could  not  discover  all  day 
the  slightest  trace  that  any  path  had  ever  existed  here 
with  steps,  or  laid  stones,  like  that  which  leads  up 
Jebel  Musa.  At  7h  2 5'  we  reached  the  fine  cold  spring 
called  Ma’yan  esh-Shunnar,  ‘  Partridge-fountain  ;J  it 
having  been  .discovered,  as  they  say,  by  the  fluttering 
of  one  of  these  birds,  when  the  monks  were  bringing 
down  the  bones  of  St.  Catharine  from  the  mountain. 
It  is  on  a  shelf  of  rock  under  the  left-hand  precipice, 
about  a  foot  in  diameter  and  depth,  with  fine  cold 
water,  never  increasing  nor  diminishing.  The  water 
percolates  through  some  fissure  in  the  rock  into  a  na¬ 
tural  reservoir  below,  where  it  is  found  in  considerable 
quantity.  Several  hawthorn-trees  (Arab.  ZaWur)  were 
growing  in  the  vicinity.  Directly  above  this  spot  is 
the  deep  cleft  properly  called  Shuk  Musa.  The  path 
now  turns  S.  W.  by  W.  passing  up  a  very  steep  ascent 
for  a  time ;  and  then  across  loose  debris  to  the  top  of 
the  main  ridge,  which  runs  up  towards  the  summit, 
here  bearing  S.  S.  W.  This  ridge  we  reached  about 
8£  o’clock;  and  here  the  view  opened  towards  the 
West  over  the  deep  vallies  below. 

We  now  kept  along  the  western  side  of  the  ridge, 
beneath  the  brow,  where  the  mountain-side  slopes 
rapidly  down  into  the  depths  below,  and  is  covered 

Vol.  I.  21 


1 


162 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


like  the  Wadys  with  tufts  of  herbs  and  shrubs,  fur¬ 
nishing  abundant  pasturage  for  the  flocks  of  the  Beda- 
win,  as  well  as  foivthe  troops  of  gazelles  and  moun¬ 
tain  goats  (Beden)  which  haunt  these  wild  retreats. 
The  Jci’deli  or  hyssop  was  here  in  great  plenty ;  and 
especially  the  fragrant  Zdter ,  a  species  of  thyme, 
Thymus  serpyllum  of  Forskal.1  This  vegetation  ex¬ 
tends  quite  up  to  the  foot  of  the  highest  peak,  an  im¬ 
mense  pile  of  huge  blocks  of  coarse  red  granite  thrown 
promiscuously  together.  Climbing  this  mass  of  rocks 
with  difficulty  on  the  S.  side,  we  reached  the  summit 
at  a  quarter  past  9  o’clock.  This  consists  of  two  small 
knolls  or  elevations  of  the  rocks ;  one  towards  the  E. 
on  which  stands  a  rude  chapel ;  the  other  towards  the 
W.  a  few  feet  higher.  According  to  the  latest  ob¬ 
servations  of  Ruppell,  similar  to  those  on  Sinai,  the 
height  of  this  mountain  is  8063  Paris  feet  above  the 
sea,  or  about  2700  feet  above  the  convent  el-Arba’in.2 
Its  elevation  therefore  is  1030  feet  greater  than  that 
of  Jebel  Musa.  The  sky  was  perfectly  clear,  and  the 
air  cool.  A  cold  N.  W.  wind  swept  fitfully  over  the 
summit.  The  thermometer  stood  in  the  shade  at  43° 
F.  In  the  sun  it  rose  at  first  to  52°  ;  but  as  the  gust 
grew  strong,  it  sunk  to  48°  F. 

During  the  ascent,  I  had  found  myself  unwell ;  and 
reached  the  top  in  a  state  of  great  exhaustion.  While 
my  companion  was  busy  in  cross-examining  the  guides 
as  to  the  mountains  and  places  in  view,  I  sought  out 
a  sunny  and  sheltered  spot  among  the  rocks,  where  I 
lay  down  and  slept  sweetly  for  half  an  hour,  and 
awoke  greatly  refreshed. 

The  chief  motive  which  led  us  to  ascend  Jebel 
Katherin,  was  the  hope  of  obtaining  a  more  distinct  and 

1)  Flora  Aeg.  Ar.  p.  107.  height  of  St.  Catharine  at  8168 

2)  Reise  in  Abyssinien,  I.  pp.  Paris  feet.  Schubert  did  not  as- 
121,  124.  Russegger  gives  the  cend  this  mountain. 


Mar.  27.] 


SUMMIT  OF  ST.  CATHARINE. 


163 


extensive  view  of  the  region  of  Sinai  and  of  the  pen¬ 
insula.  Nor  were  our  hopes  disappointed.  The  moun¬ 
tain  indeed  has  little  of  historical  interest ;  there  being 
not  the  slightest  probability  that  it  had  any  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  giving  of  the  law  to  Israel.  But  the  pros¬ 
pect  is  wide  and  magnificent,  comprehending  almost  the 
whole  peninsula.  The  chief  interruption  of  the  view 
is  by  Um  Shaumer,  hearing  S.  20°  W.,  a  sharp  granite 
peak,  said  by  Burckhardt  to  be  inaccessible,  and  per¬ 
haps  the  highest  point  in  the  peninsula.  Jebel  Musa, 
lying  N.  44°  E.  was  far  below  us,  and  appeared  only 
as  an  inferior  peak.  Towards  the  S.  E.  the  large 
Wady  Nusb  was  seen  (S.  62°  E.)  running  towards 
the  eastern  Gulf ;  of  which  also  a  much  larger  portion 
was  visible  around  Shurm,  than  from  Jebel  Musa,  with 
the  island  Tiran  bearing  S.  35°  E.  The  northern  part 
of  this  Gulf  could  not  be  traced ;  though  the  Arabian 
mountains  beyond  it  were  very  distinct.  A  mountain 
which  our  guides  called  Ras  Muhammed,  bore  S.  9°  E. 
in  the  general  direction  of  the  cape  of  that  name ; 
around  which,  and  to  the  right  of  Um  Shaumer,  al¬ 
most  the  whole  course  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez  was  visible, 
with  the  African  mountains  beyond, — a  silvery  thread 
of  waters  stretching  far  up  through  a  naked  desert. 
Two  of  these  African  mountains  were  very  distinct ; 
one,  ez-Zeit,  bearing  S.  56°  W.  and  the  other  the  cone 
of  Jebel  Gharib,  bearing  S.  77°  W.  called  by  our 
guides  the  mountain  of  the  ’Ababideh.  Between  the 
western  Gulf  and  the  mountains  of  Sinai,  the  great 
plain  el-Ka’a  was  spread  out,  extending  beyond  Tur ; 
and  N.  of  that  place  along  the  shore  was  seen  the  low 
range  of  limestone  mountains,  among  which  lies  the 
sounding  hill  Nakus.  Nearer  at  hand  were  many 
dark  peaks;  and  among  them  that  of  Madsus,  just 
beyond  the  gardens  of  Bughabigh,  bearing  N.  78°  W. 
and  a  peak  of  Jebel  Haweit,  N.  45°  W.  Near  this 


164 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


last  rises  Wady  Kibrin,  which  runs  off  to  Wady  Hi- 
bran.  More  distant  in  the  same  direction  rose  the 
rugged  cliffs  of  Serbal,  lying  between  N.  57°  W.  and 
N.  70°  W.  while  farther  to  the  right  were  seen  Sar- 
but  el-Jemel,  el-Benat,  and  ez-Zebir.  In  the  North, 
the  great  sandy  plain  er-Ramleh,  was  seen  stretching 
far  along  the  base  of  the  high  level  ridge  of  et-Tih ; 
and  we  were  shown  the  point  where  this  mountain 
separates  into  two  parallel  ridges,  bearing  from  us 
about  North.  Towards  the  eastern  quarter,  between 
us  and  the  whole  length  of  the  Gulf  of  ’Akabah,  the 
eye  wandered  over  a  sea  of  mountains,  black,  abrupt, 
naked,  weather-worn  peaks, — a  fitting  spot  where 
the  very  genius  of  desolation  might  erect  his  horrid 
throne. — Relow  us,  just  at  the  western  foot  of  St. 
Catharine,  a  valley  called  Urn  Kuraf  was  seen  run¬ 
ning  northwards ;  while  another,  ez-Zuweitin,  having 
a  succession  of  gardens,  passes  down  from  the  right 
near  the  base  of  el-Humr,  to  join  it.  The  Wady  thus 
formed  is  called  Tulah,  and  runs  down  between  the 
mountains  of  Seru  N.  15°  W.  and  Tinia  N.  26°  W. 
apparently  joining  the  Rudhwah  and  so  flowing  off  to 
Wady  Solaf.  Jebel  el-Humr  was  below  us  in  the 
direction  N.  3°  E.  Jebel  Tinia  was  also  called  by 
our  guides  Sumr  et-T^inia.1 

We  found  that  our  guides  of  to-day  and  yesterday, 
both  old  and  young,  knew  very  little  of  distant  moun¬ 
tains  and  objects;  while  they  were  familiarly  ac¬ 
quainted  with  those  near  at  hand.  It  was  only  after 

1)  Other  bearings  from  Jebel  E.  Zebir,  another  peak  of  St. 
Katherin  were  the  following :  Je-  Catharine  near  at  hand,  S.  12°  E. 
bel  ed-Deir,  N.  35°  E.  Um  Lauz,  Muheirid  el-Kunas,  S.  6°  E.  and 
N.  41°  E.  Um  ’Alawy,  N.  62°  E.  el-’Odha,  S.  10°  W.  both  connected 
el-Habeshy,  further  distant,  N.  with  Um  Shaumer.  Fera5  Su- 
66°  E.  Urk  ez-Zugherah,  a  long  weid,  S.  25°  W.  and  es-Sik,  S. 
ridge  beyond  Um  ’Alawy,  north  77°  W. ;  dark  peaks  nearer  St. 
end,  N.  87°  E ;  south  end,  S.  80°  Catharine.  el-Benat,  N.  45°  W. 
E.  Abu  Mas’ud,  between  the  ez-Zebir,  west  end,  N.  40°  W ; 
Wadys  I\usb  and  Wa’rah,  S.  30°  east  end,  N.  31°  W. 


Mar.  27.] 


SUMMIT  OF  ST.  CATHARINE. 


165 


long  and  repeated  examination  and  cross-questioning, 
that  my  companion  could  be  sure  of  any  correctness 
as  to  more  remote  objects;  since  at  first  they  often 
gave  answers  at  random,  which  they  afterwards  mod¬ 
ified  or  took  hack.  The  young  man  Salim  was  the 
most  intelligent  of  the  whole.  After  all  our  pains, 
many  of  the  names  we  obtained  were  different  from 
those  which  Burckhardt  heard ;  although  his  guides 
apparently  were  of  the  same  tribe. — A  tolerably  cer¬ 
tain  method  of  finding  any  place  at  will,  is  to  ask  an 
Arab  if  its  name  exists.  He  is  sure  to  answer  Yes; 
and  to  point  out  some  spot  at  hand  as  its  location.  In 
this  way,  I  have  no  doubt,  we  might  have  found  Re- 
phi  dim,  or  Marah,  or  any  other  place  we  chose ;  and 
such  is  probably  the  mode  in  which  many  ancient 
names  and  places  have  been  discovered  by  travellers, 
which  no  one  has  ever  been  able  to  find  after  them.1 

Of  the  two,  the  ascent  of  St.  Catharine  is  much  to 
be  preferred  to  that  of  Jebei  Musa.  The  view  is  far 
more  extensive  and  almost  unlimited,  affording  to  the 
spectator  a  good  general  idea  of  the  whole  peninsula ; 
of  which  he  learns  little  or  nothing  from  Sinai.  The 
ascent  indeed  is  longer  and  more  laborious;  but  it 
also  repays  the  toil  in  a  far  higher  degree.  Our  whole 
visit  here  to-day  was  one  of  satisfaction  and  gratifica¬ 
tion  ;  not,  as  yesterday,  of  disappointment.  The  time 
generally  necessary  for  the  ascent  of  Jebei  Musa  may 
be  estimated  at  an  hour  and  a  half;  and  for  St. 
Catharine  from  two  and  a  half  to  three  hours.  We 
were  longer  on  the  way. 

After  remaining  for  two  and  a  half  hours  on  the 
summit,  we  left  at  Ilf  o’clock,  and  reached  the  convent 
of  the  Forty  Martyrs  at  a  quarter  past  one.  Here  we 
found  the  Superior  still  waiting  in  order  to  conduct  us 


1)  So,  for  example,  Marah,  Capernaum,  Bethsaida,  Chorazin,etc. 


166 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


around  through  Wady  el-Leja  to  the  convent,  and  show 
us  the  holy  places  on  the  way.  The  distance  is  reck¬ 
oned  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  may  he  thus  divided : 
forty  minutes  to  the  mouth  of  el-Leja;  twenty-five 
minutes  along  the  front  of  Horeb  to  Wady  Shu’eib ; 
and  twenty-five  minutes  to  the  convent  in  that  valley. 
This  is  a  sort  of  household  path  for  the  monks,  which 
they  have  travelled  for  centuries ;  and  along  which,  as 
a  matter  of  convenience,  they  have  gathered  together 
all  the  holy  places  they  know  of  in  connection  with 
Sinai. 

After  stopping  about  half  an  hour  at  el-Arba’in, 
we  proceeded  slowly  down  the  valley,  without  seeing 
the  chapel  and  grot  of  St.  Onuphrius,  which  are  said 
by  Pococke  to  be  near  the  North  end  of  the  olive  plan¬ 
tation.  In  about  twenty  minutes  we  came  to  the  rock 
which  they  say  Moses  smote,  and  the  water  gushed 
out.  As  to  this  rock,  one  is  at  a  loss,  whether  most 
to  admire  the  credulity  of  the  monks,  or  the  legendary 
and  discrepant  reports  of  travellers.  It  is  hardly  ne¬ 
cessary  to  remark,  that  there  is  not  the  slightest  ground 
for  assuming  any  connection  between  this  narrow 
valley  and  Rephidim ;  but  on  the  contrary,  there  is 
every  thing  against  it.  The  rock  itself  is  a  large  iso¬ 
lated  cube  of  coarse  red  granite,  which  has  fallen  from 
the  eastern  mountain.  Down  its  front,  in  an  oblique 
line  from  top  to  bottom,  runs  a  seam  of  a  finer  texture, 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  inches  broad,  having  in  it  several 
irregular  horizontal  crevices,  somewhat  resembling 
the  human  mouth,  one  above  another.  These  are  said 
to  be  twelve  in  number ;  but  I  could  make  out  only 
ten.  The  seam  extends  quite  through  the  rock,  and  is 
visible  on  the  opposite  or  back  side ;  where  also  are  simi¬ 
lar  crevices,  though  not  so  large.  The  holes  did  not  ap¬ 
pear  to  us  to  be  artificial,  as  is  usually  reported ;  although 
we  examined  them  particularly.  They  belong  rather 


ij- 


Mar.  27.]  WADY  EL-LEJA.  INSCRIPTIONS.  167 


to  the  nature  of  the  seam ;  yet  it  is  possible  that  some 
of  them  may  have  been  enlarged  by  artificial  means. 
The  rock  is  a  singular  one ;  and  doubtless  was  select¬ 
ed,  on  account  of  this  very  singularity,  as  the  scene  of 
the  miracle. 

Below  this  point  are  many  Sinaite  inscriptions 
along  the  rocks  in  the  valley.  Having  Burckhardt’s 
Travels  with  us,  we  compared  some  of  his  copies  with 
the  originals,  and  found  them  tolerably  exact.1  Where 
Wady  el-Leja  opens  out  into  the  recess  that  runs  in 
West  from  the  plain  er-Rahah,  there  is  on  the  left  a 
garden ;  and  further  down  on  the  right  another,  hav¬ 
ing  a  great  number  and  variety  of  fruit-trees.  This 
Burckhardt  says  is  called,  by  way  of  eminence,  el-Bos- 
tan,  ‘the  Garden a  name  which  we  did  not  hear.  These 
gardens  mark  the  sites  of  former  convents,  now  fallen 
to  ruin ;  that  towards  the  West  once  bearing  the  name 
of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  and  the  other  that  of  St. 
Mary  of  David.  Over  the  mountain  towards  the  West, 
among  the  gardens  which  we  saw  from  St.  Catharine 
in  Wady  Zuweitin  or  Tulah,  was  formerly  another 
small  convent  of  St.  Cosmas  and  Damian,  visited  by 
Pococke;2  but  of  which  we  heard  nothing.  Over- 
against  the  mouth  of  el-Leja,  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  recess,  we,  like  all  travellers,  were  pointed  to  the 
spot  where  the  earth  opened  and  swallowed  up  Korah, 
Dathan  and  Abiram,  with  their  followers ;  the  good 
fathers  of  the  monastery,  as  a  matter  of  convenience, 
having  transferred  the  scene  of  this  event  from  the 
vicinity  of  Kadesh  to  this  place.3 


1)  Not  so  Pococke’s  copies,  in 
which  there  is  hardly  a  trace  of 
resemblance ;  nor  are  those  of 
Niebuhr  much  better. 

2)  Travels,  I.  pp.  149,  153.  fol. 

In  a  cell  or  perhaps  convent  in  this 
valley,  the  Abbot  Johannes  Clima- 
cus,  known  as  a  writer,  lived  for 
forty  years,  in  the  latter  part  of 


the  sixth  century.  The  name  of 
the  valley  in  Greek  was  then 
©wld,  Thola.  See  in  Max.  Bibli- 
oth.  vet.  Patrum,  Tom.  X.  p.  386, 
seq.  Acta  Sanctorum,  Jan.  Tom. 
I.  p.  963,  col.  1. 

3)  Num.  c.  xvi.  compared  with 
Num.  xiii.  26. 


168 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


Farther  eastward  in  front  of  Horeb,  a  hole  in  a 
granite  rock  level  with  the  sand,  is  shown  as  the  mould 
in  which  Aaron  cast  the  golden  calf.  Burckhardt  has 
exaggerated  this  story  a  little  at  the  expense  of  the 
monks,  making  them  show  the  head  of  the  golden  calf 
itself  transmuted  into  stone.  The  small  elevation  or 
point  between  the  channels  of  the  Wadys  Sheikh  and 
Shu’eib,  they  also  show  as  the  place  where  Aaron  was 
standing,  when  the  people  danced  around  the  golden 
calf  in  the  plain,  and  Moses  descended  behind  him  from 
the  mountain.  Just  at  the  foot  of  the  adjacent  corner 
of  Horeb  is  a  rock,  marking  the  spot  where  Moses 
threw  down  and  broke  the  tables  of  the  law.  These 
the  monks  and  Arabs  both  believe  are  still  buried 
there  unto  this  day  ;  and  the  Arabs  often  dig  around 
the  spot  in  the  hope  of  finding  them.1 

As  we  advanced  up  the  valley  towards  the  con¬ 
vent,  we  were  followed  by  quite  a  throng  of  Arab 
women  and  children  of  the  Jebeliyeh,  begging  various 
articles  of  the  Superior,  and  kissing  his  hand  and  the 
hem  of  his  garment,  as  if  rejoiced  to  meet  him  without 
the  walls.  The  old  man  dealt  kindly  with  them,  and 
distributed  his  little  gifts  with  patriarchal  dignity  and 
grace.  We  reached  the  convent  at  4f  o’clock,  exceed¬ 
ingly  fatigued,  and  glad  to  find  a  quiet  home.  The 
Ikonomos  undertook  to  pay  our  Arab  attendants  in 
barley,  charging  us  at  the  rate  of  seven  Piastres  a  day 
for  each  guide.  As  the  poor  fellows  would  probably 
get  much  less  than  this  in  their  barley,  we  sent  them 
a  trifling  Bakhshish  or  present  in  money,  with  which 
they  went  away  delighted. 

Wednesday ,  March  28th.  We  had  fixed  on  Thurs¬ 
day  as  the  day  of  our  departure ;  and  were  to-day  of 
course  very  busy  with  our  journals  and  letters.  Be- 


1)  Burckhardt  has  transferred  this  legend  to  the  summit  of  Sinai ;  p.  567. 


Mar.  28.] 


169 


■V 

VISIT  TO  THE  SUPERIOR, 

sharali  arrived  in  the  afternoon,  saying  that  the  camels 
would  be  here  at  night  or  in  the  morning ;  and  that 
Tuweileb  would  go  with  us  to  ’Akabah,  according  to 
the  contract. 

The  good  Superior,  Father  Neophytus,  continued 
his  attentions,  although  it  was  a  day  on  which  he  was 
peculiarly  occupied  in  the  duties  of  the  convent.  All 
the  morning  until  12  o’clock  the  monks  were  at  prayers ; 
and  the  same  was  to  be  the  case  at  night  from  ten 
o’clock  until  two ;  this  being  a  particular  regulation 
of  the  convent  during  certain  days  in  Lent.  After 
dinner  we  were  invited  to  visit  the  Superior  at  his 
room.  We  found  him  in  the  midst  of  a  little  establish¬ 
ment  by  himself, — a  small  court,  a  work-bench  with 
a  few  joiner’s  tools,  a  sitting-room,  kitchen,  and  two 
or  three  small  chambers.  His  sitting-room,  like  the 
one  we  occupied,  was  furnished  with  low  divans  and 
carpets,  rather  old  and  worn ;  in  a  recess  stood  a  low 
desk  and  trunk ;  and  on  the  opposite  side  were  a  closet 
and  cupboard.  Several  Greek  books,  mostly  devo¬ 
tional,  were  scattered  on  a  shelf  and  in  the  window. 
The  room  was  very  small.  Oranges  from  Egypt  sliced 
with  sugar  were  presented  to  us ;  and  also  coffee,  pre¬ 
pared  by  the  young  deacon. 

As  this  was  to  be  our  last  day  at  the  convent,  the 
Superior  made  us  several  presents  as  memorials  of  our 
visit  to  Sinai,  remarkable  rather  for  the  value  which 
he  set  upon  them,  than  for  any  intrinsic  worth.  An 
engraving  of  the  convent  and  mountain  was  curious  as 
a  specimen  of  perspective  drawing  (or  rather  non-per¬ 
spective)  a  century  ago  ;  and  this  and  some  beautiful 
white  corals  from  Tur,  and  a  skin  of  sweetmeats  for 
our  journey,  were  the  chief  articles.  The  latter  con¬ 
tained  a  mixture  of  dates  and  almonds,  highly  prized, 
and  usually  prepared  (he  said)  only  as  presents  to 
Pashas  and  persons  of  rank. 

Vol.  I.  22 


170 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  HI. 


In  accordance  with  a  former  promise,  the  old  man 
likewise  put  into  our  hands  a  small  quantity  of  the 
manna  of  the  peninsula,  famous  at  least  as  being  the 
successor  of  the  Israelitish  manna,  though  not  to  be 
regarded  as  the  same  substance.  According  to  his 
account,  it  is  not  produced  every  year;  sometimes 
only  after  five  or  six  years ;  and  the  quantity  in  gen¬ 
eral  has  greatly  diminished.  It  is  found  in  the  form 
of  shining  drops  on  the  twigs  and  branches  (not  upon 
the  leaves)  of  the  Tiirfa,  Tamarix  Gallica  mannifera 
of  Ehrenberg,  from  which  it  exudes  in  consequence 
of  the  puncture  of  an  insect  of  the  coccus  kind,  Coccus 
manniparus  of  the  same  naturalist.1  What  falls  upon 
the  sand  is  said  not  to  be  gathered.  It  has  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  gum,  is  of  a  sweetish  taste,  and  melts 
when  exposed  to  the  sun  or  to  a  fire.  The  Arabs 
consider  it  as  a  great  delicacy,  and  the  pilgrims  prize 
it  highly;  especially  those  from  Russia,  who  pay  a 
high  price  for  it.  The  Superior  had  now  but  a  small 
quantity,  which  he  was  keeping  against  an  expected 
visit  from  the  Russian  consul-general  in  Egypt.  In¬ 
deed,  so  scarce  had  it  become  of  late  years,  as  to  bear 
a  price  of  twenty  or  twenty-five  Piastres  the  pound. 

Of  the  manna  of  the  Old  Testament,  it  is  said : 
“  When  the  dew  that  lay  was  gone  up,  behold,  upon 
the  face  of  the  desert  a  small  round  thing,  small  as 
the  hoar-frost  on  the  ground ; — and  it  was  like  corian¬ 
der-seed,  white ;  and  the  taste  of  it  was  like  wafers 
with  honey.2 — And  the  people  gathered  it,  and  ground 
it  in  mills,  and  beat  it  in  a  mortar,  or  baked  it  in  pans, 
and  made  cakes  of  it ;  and  the  taste  of  it  was  as  the 
taste  of  fresh  oil.  And  when  the  dew  fell  upon  the 
camp  in  the  night,  the  manna  fell  upon  it.”3  Of  all 
these  characteristics  not  one  is  applicable  to  the  pre- 

1)  See  Note  XIV,  at  the  end  of  2)  Ex.  xvi.  14,  31. 
the  volume.  3)  Num.  xi.  8,  9. 


Mar.  29.] 


MANNA.  SANDALS. 


171 


sent  manna.  And  even  could  it  be  shown  to  be  the 
same,  still  a  supply  of  it  in  sufficient  abundance  for 
the  daily  consumption  of  two  millions  of  people,  would 
have  been  no  less  a  miracle. 

The  Superior  also  procured  for  me  a  pair  of  the 
sandals  usually  worn  by  the  Bedawin  of  the  peninsula, 
made  of  the  thick  skin  of  a  fish  which  is  caught  in  the 
Red  Sea.  The  Arabs  around  the  convent  called  it 
Tun ;  but  could  give  no  further  account  of  it,  than  that 
it  is  a  large  fish,  and  is  eaten.  It  is  a  species  of 
Halicore,  named  by  Ehrenberg  Halicora  Hemprichii.1 
The  skin  is  clumsy  and  coarse,  and  might  answer  very 
well  for  the  external  covering  of  the  tabernacle,  which 
was,  constructed  at  Sinai  ;2  but  would  seem  hardly  a 
fitting  material  for  the  ornamental  sandals  belonging 
to  the  costly  attire  of  high-born  dames  in  Palestine, 
described  by  the  prophet  Ezekiel.3 

It  will  not  be  supposed  that  all  these  things  were 
presented  to  us  without  the  hope  of  a  recompense. 
Indeed,  some  of  them,  as  the  manna  and  sandals,  were 
a  matter  of  purchase  on  our  part ;  and  as  to  the  rest, 
we  knew  very  well  that  a  present  of  money  was  ex¬ 
pected  to  an  amount  greater  than  the  value  of  the 
articles. 

Thursday ,  March  29th ,  Forenoon.  This  being  the 
day  appointed  for  our  setting  off,  we  held  ourselves 
ready  at  an  early  hour;  but  it  was  nearly  eleven 
o’clock  before  Tuweileb  arrived  with  the  camels. 
After  a  long  talk  in  the  garden  in  presence  of  the 
Superior,  it  was  agreed,  that  as  Besharah  had  now  no 
camel,  Tuweileb  should  take  his  place  in  the  contract, 

1)  See  Ehrenberg’s  Symbola 
Phys.  Mammalia ,  Decas  II.  Text 
fob  K.  Also  ibid.  Zootomica ,  Dec. 

I.  Tab.  3,  4,  5.  According  to  this 
writer,  the  Arabs  on  the  coast  call 
this  fish  Naka  and  Lottum. 


2)  Ex.  xxv.  5.  xxvi.  14.  al. 
The  Hebrew  word  is  tantt,  usually 
translated  badger ;  though,  as  it 
would  seem,  without  sufficient  rea¬ 
son  in  this  case. 

3)  Ezek.  xvi.  10. 


172 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


and  conduct  us  to  ’Akabah.  Three  of  the  men  also, 
who  had  come  with  us  from  Cairo,  concluded  to  go 
no  further ;  and  we  found  that  we  were  to  have  an 
entirely  new  set  of  camels,  which  proved  to  he  better 
than  the  former  ones.  The  190  Piastres  to  he  paid 
for  each  camel  from  Cairo  to  ’Akabah,  the  Arabs 
divided  among  themselves  as  follows :  40  from  Cairo 
to  Suez ;  80  from  Suez  to  the  convent ;  and  70  from 
the  convent  to  ;Akabah.  Yet  there  would  seem  to 
be  no  regular  price  for  any  of  these  routes ;  for  an 
English  traveller  the  year  before  had  paid  at  the  rate 
of  40  Piastres  to  Suez ;  100  thence  to  the  convent ; 
and  60  from  the  convent  to  ’Akabah. 

We  parted  from  Besharah  with  regret.  He  had 
served  us  faithfully  and  well ;  was  ever  active  and 
vigilant;  and  had  always  manifested  some  indepen¬ 
dence  and  self-respect.  We  made  him  a  small  addi¬ 
tional  present  on  account  of  the  camel  he  had  lost  in 
our  service ;  and  promised  to  put  him  into  our  book, 
if  we  made  one.  As  he  said  he  should  return  imme¬ 
diately  to  Cairo,  we  entrusted  letters  to  his  care,  with 
a  promise  of  reward  on  their  being  delivered ;  but  it 
was  many  months  ere  they  reached  the  places  of  their 
destination. 

Tuweileb  was  an  older  man  than  Besharah;  he 
had  travelled  more,  was  better  acquainted  with  the 
routes  and  with  the  country  in  general,  and  knew 
more  of  the  habits  and  usual  wants  of  Frank  travel¬ 
lers.  He  was,  however,  less  active ;  was  apparently 
growing  old;  and  had  seen  his  best  days.  Yet  we 
found  him  throughout  faithful,  trust- worthy,  and  kind ; 
although  for  a  great  part  of  the  time  he  was  with  us, 
he  was  labouring  under  ill-health.  We  cheerfully  add 
our  testimony  in  his  favour,  to  that  of  former  travellers. 

Our  residence  of  five  and  a  half  days  in  the  convent 
turned  out  to  be  rather  an  expensive  one.  The  com- 


Mar.  29.] 


TAKING  LEAVE. 


173 


munity  provided  us  with  various  articles  which  we 
needed  on  our  further  journey ;  as  bread,  dried  fruits, 
almonds,  candles,  and  the  like  ;  hut  would  set  no  price 
upon  them.  These  we  could  estimate  ;  hut  to  do  the 
proper  thing’  as  to  our  lodgings  and  entertainment,  and 
a  fit  1  remembrance’  to  all  the  inmates,  from  the  Supe¬ 
rior  down  to  the  servants,  was  a  matter  requiring  more 
nicety  and  tact.  With  the  aid  of  our  Komeh,  who  was 
skilled  in  these  matters,  we  made  out  to  get  through 
the  business  to  the  apparent  satisfaction  of  all  parties, 
except  the  good  Superior.  He  had  exerted  himself 
perhaps  unusually  to  pay  us  friendly  attentions ;  and 
possibly  he  expected  from  us  too  much  in  return.  His 
manner  was  still  and  resigned ;  hut  his  countenance 
was  fallen  and  beclouded.  A  civil  speech,  however, 
with  the  dextrous  application  of  a  couple  of  dollars  in 
addition,  wrought  a  sudden  change ;  the  cloud  cleared 
away,  his  eyes  lighted  up,  and  his  whole  countenance 
assumed  an  expression  of  more  than  wonted  benignity. 

During  our  journey  to  the  convent,  it  had  been  a 
part  of  our  plan,  or  rather  our  wish,  to  make  an  excur¬ 
sion  to  Jebel  Serbal,  in  order  to  examine  for  ourselves, 
whether  this  mountain  has  any  claim  to  he  regarded 
as  the  Sinai  of  Scripture  ;  as  Burckhardt  suggests  was 
perhaps  anciently  the  case.1  But  after  we  reached 
the  convent,  and  perceived  the  adaptedness  of  that 
region  to  the  circumstances  of  the  historical  narrative, 
this  wish  became  less  strong ;  and  afterwards  the  want 
of  time,  and  the  information  given  us  by  Sheikh  Husein 
and  Tuweileb  respecting  the  district  of  Serbal,  led  us 
to  abandon  the  idea  of  visiting  it.  Tuweileb  had  spent 
several  weeks  around  the  mountain  the  preceding  sea¬ 
son  ;  and  both  assured  us,  that  nowhere  in  the  vicinity 
of  it,  is  there  any  valley  or  open  spot  like  the  plain  er- 


1)  Travels,  etc.  page  609. 


174 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


Rah  ah,  or  even  like  Wady  esh-Sheikh.  From  the  N. 
E.  side  of  Serbal  the  Wadys  run  down  to  Wady  Fei- 
ran ;  hut  they  are  comparatively  narrow  and  rocky. 
On  its  S.  W.  side,  still  narrower  Wadys  run  out  to  the 
great  plain  el-Ka7a,  at  the  distance  of  an  hour  or  more. 
There  is  water  in  plenty  on  both  sides  of  the  moun¬ 
tain  ;  and  a  path,  laid  in  part  with  steps,  leads  along 
the  eastern  and  southern  sides  to  the  summit.  The 
route  from  the  convent  to  Serbal  goes  down  Wady 
Sheikh;  or  else  by  the  Nukb  Hawy  and  down  Wady 
Solaf.  The  distance  from  the  convent  to  F eiran  near 
the  foot  of  Serbal  by  this  latter  route,  is  nine  or  ten 
hours.  The  mountain  itself  is  a  long  ridge  with  five 
principal  peaks.  Burckhardt  ascended  the  eastern¬ 
most,  which  with  the  one  adjacent  he  supposed  to  be 
the  highest.  Riippell  in  1831  ascended  the  second 
from  the  West,  by  a  path  along  the  northern  side  of 
the  mountain ;  he  regards  this  as  the  highest,  and  took 
observations  upon  it  to  ascertain  its  elevation.  From 
these  its  height  was  found  to  be  6342  Paris  feet  above 
the  sea ;  or  976  feet  higher  than  the  convent  el-Arba’in.1 
Hence  it  turns  out  that  Serbal  is  more  than  1700  feet 
lower  than  St.  Catharine ;  although  as  it  rises  alone 
and  magnificently  from  the  midst  of  far  inferior  ridges, 
its  apparent  elevation  is  not  much  less  than  that  of  the 
former  mountain. 

On  both  the  summits  ascended  by  Burckhardt  and 
Riippell,  these  travellers  found  inscriptions  in  the  usual 
unknown  character ;  and  also  in  the  vallies  leading  to 
the  mountain.  In  a  Wady  on  the  S.  W.  side  of  the 
ridge,  near  its  eastern  end,  are  the  remains  of  a  large 
and  well-built  convent,  from  which  a  path  is  said  to 
lead  up  the  mountain.  These  circumstances  would 
seem  to  indicate,  that  Serbal  was  anciently  a  place  of 


1)  Riippell’s  Reise  in  Abyssinien,  I.  pp.  128,  124. 


Mar.  29.] 


SERBAL.  CLIMATE. 


pilgrimage ;  but  whether  because  it  was  perhaps  re¬ 
garded  as  the  Sinai  of  Scripture,  or  more  probably 
only  in  connection  with  this  convent  and  the  episcopal 
see  of  Faran,  it  is  now  difficult  to  determine.1 

The  weather  during  our  residence  at  the  convent, 
as  indeed  during  all  our  journey  through  the  peninsula, 
was  very  fine ;  with  the  slight  exception  already  men¬ 
tioned  on  Jebel  Musa.  At  the  convent,  the  thermo¬ 
meter  ranged  only  between  47°  and  67°  F.  But  the 
winter  nights  are  said  here  to  be  cold ;  water  freezes 
as  late  as  F ebruary ;  and  snow  often  falls  upon  the 
mountains.  But  the  air  is  exceedingly  pure,  and  the 
climate  healthy ;  as  is  testified  by  the  great  age  and 
vigour  of  many  of  the  monks.  And  if  in  general  few 
of  the  Arabs  attain  to  so  great  an  age,  the  cause  is 
doubtless  to  be  sought  in  the  scantiness  of  their  fare 
and  their  exposure  to  privations ;  and  not  in  any  inju¬ 
rious  influence  of  the  climate. 


In  closing  this  Section  of  our  Journal,  I  throw  to¬ 
gether  here  all  that  remains  to  be  said  upon  the  Sinai 
of  the  Old  Testament,  Sinai  in  the  early  Christian 
ages,  the  present  Convent,  and  also  upon  the  Arab  in¬ 
habitants  of  the  Peninsula. 

SINAI  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 

We  came  to  Sinai  with  some  incredulity,  wishing 
to  investigate  the  point,  whether  there  was  any  pro¬ 
bable  ground  beyond  monkish  tradition,  for  fixing  upon 
the  present  supposed  site.  The  details  of  the  preced¬ 
ing  pages  will  have  made  the  reader  acquainted  with 

1)  See  generally,  Burckhardt’s  pell’s  Reise  in  Abyssinien,  I.  p. 
Travels,  etc.  p.  606,  seq.  Riip-  125,  seq. 


176 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


the  grounds  which  led  us  to  the  conviction,  that  the 
plain  er-Rahah  above  described  is  the  probable  spot 
where  the  congregation  of  Israel  were  assembled,  and 
that  the  mountain  impending  over  it,  the  present  Ho- 
reb,  was  the  scene  of  the  awful  phenomena  in  which 
the  law  was  given.  We  were  satisfied  after  much 
examination  and  inquiry,  that  in  no  other  quarter  of 
the  peninsula,  and  certainly  not  around  any  of  the 
higher  peaks,  is  there  a  spot  corresponding  in  any  de¬ 
gree  so  fully  as  this  to  the  historical  account,  and  to 
the  circumstances  of  the  case.  I  have  entered  above 
more  fully  into  the  details,  because  former  travellers 
have  touched  upon  this  point  so  slightly ;  and  because, 
even  to  the  present  day,  it  is  a  current  opinion  among 
scholars,  that  no  open  space  exists  among  these  moun¬ 
tains.1  We  too  were  surprised  as  well  as  gratified  to 
find  here,  in  the  inmost  recesses  of  these  dark  granite 
cliffs,  this  fine  plain  spread  out  before  the  mountain ; 
and  I  know  not  when  I  have  felt  a  thrill  of  stronger 
emotion,  than  when  in  first  crossing  the  plain,  the  dark 
precipices  of  Horeb  rising  in  solemn  grandeur  before 
us,  we  became  aware  of  the  entire  adaptedness  of  the 
scene  to  the  purposes  for  which  it  was  chosen  by  the 
great  Hebrew  legislator.  Moses  doubtless,  during  the 
forty  years  in  which  he  kept  the  flocks  of  Jethro,  had 
often  wandered  over  these  mountains,  and  was  well 
acquainted  with  their  vallies  and  deep  recesses,  like 
the  Arabs  of  the  present  day.  At  any  rate,  he  knew 
and  had  visited  the  spot  to  which  he  was  to  conduct 
his  people,2 — this  adytum  in  the  midst  of  the  great 
circular  granite  region,  with  only  a  single  feasible 
entrance  ;  a  secret  holy  place,  shut  out  from  the  world 
amid  lone  and  desolate  mountains. 

The  Israelites  probably  approached  Sinai  by  the 

1)  Compare  Winer’s  Bibl.  2)  Ex.  iii.  1. 

RealwOrterb.  art.  Sinai ,  II.  p.  550. 


Sec.  III.] 


THE  NAMES  SINAI  AND  HOREB. 


177 


Wady  Feiran;  and  entered  the  plain  through  the 
upper  part  of  Wady  esh-Sheikh.  At  least  there  is  no 
conceivable  reason,  why  they  should  have  passed  to 
the  South  of  Mount  Serbal,  and  taken  the  circuitous 
and  more  difficult  route  near  Tur,  and  through  the 
Wady  Hibran,  as  has  often  been  supposed.  From  the 
desert  of  Sin,  which  I  have  above  taken  to  be  the 
great  plain  along  the  shore,  to  Sinai,  three  stations  are 
marked,  Dophkah,  Alush,  and  Rephidim,1  equivalent 
to  four  days7  journey  for  such  a  host;  and  this  accords 
well  with  the  distance  of  twenty-six  to  twenty-eight 
hours  as  usually  travelled  by  camels.2 

The  names  of  Horeb  and  Sinai  are  used  inter¬ 
changeably  in  the  Pentateuch,  to  denote  the  mountain 
on  which  the  law  was  given  ;  and  this  circumstance 
has  naturally  occasioned  difficulty  to  commentators. 
The  most  obvious  and  common  explanation  is,  to  re¬ 
gard  one  (Sinai)  as  the  general  name  for  the  whole 
cluster,  and  the  other  (Horeb)  as  designating  a  par¬ 
ticular  mountain  ;  much  as  the  same  names  are  em¬ 
ployed  by  the  Christians  at  the  present  day.3  So  too 
the  Arabs  now  apply  the  name  Jebel  et-Tur  to  the 
whole  central  granite  region ;  while  the  different 
mountains  of  which  it  is  composed,  are  called  Jebel 
Katherin,  Jebel  Musa,  etc.  On  looking  at  the  subject 
during  our  sojourn  at  the  convent,  I  was  led  to  a  simi¬ 
lar  conclusion ;  applying  the  names  however  differently, 
and  regarding  Horeb  as  the  general  name,  and  Sinai 
as  the  particular  one.  Two  circumstances  seem  to 
favour  this  conclusion.  One  is,  that  before  and  during 
the  march  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt  to  the  place 
where  the  law  was  given,  the  latter  is  called  only 


1)  Num.  xxxiii.  12 — 15.  hardt’s  Travels,  p.  1078;  Rosen- 

2)  Burckhardt’s  Travels,  etc.  muller  Bibl.  Geogr.  III.  p.  115. 

pp.  598,  602,  618,  621,  622.  Winer’s  Bibl.  Realworterb.  art. 

3)  Gesenius’  Notes  to  Burck-  Horeb. 

Vol.  I.  23 


178 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


Horeb ;  just  as  the  Arabs  now  speak  of  going  from 
Cairo  to  Jebel  et-Tur ;  while  during  the  sojourn  of  the 
Hebrews  before  the  mountain,  it  is  spoken  of  (with 
one  exception)  only  as  Sinai ;  and  after  their  depar¬ 
ture,  it  is  again  referred  to  exclusively  as  Horeb.  The 
other  and  main  fact  is,  that  while  the  Israelites  were 
encamped  at  Rephidim,  Moses  was  commanded  to  go 
on  with  the  elders  before  the  people,  and  smite  the 
rock  in  Horeb,  in  order  to  obtain  water  for  the  camp. 
The  necessary  inference  is,  that  some  part  of  Horeb 
was  near  to  Rephidim ;  while  Sinai  was  yet  a  day’s 
march  distant.1 

The  position  of  Rephidim  itself  can  be  conjectured 
only  from  the  same  passages  to  which  reference  has 
just  been  made.  If  we  admit  Horeb  to  be  the  general 
name  for  the  central  cluster  of  mountains,  and  that 
the  Israelites  approached  it  by  the  great  Wady  esh- 
Sheikh,  then  Rephidim  must  have  been  at  some  point 
in  this  valley  not  far  from  the  skirts  of  Horeb,  and 
about  a  day’s  march  from  the  particular  mountain  of 
Sinai.  Such  a  point  exists  at  the  place  where  Wady 
esh-Sheikh  issues  from  the  high  central  granite  cliffs. 
We  did  not  visit  the  spot ;  but  Burckhardt  in  ascend¬ 
ing  Wady  esh-Sheikh  towards  the  convent,  thus  de¬ 
scribes  it :  aWe  now  approached  the  central  summits 
of  Mount  Sinai,  which  we  had  had  in  view  for  several 
days.  Abrupt  cliffs  of  granite  from  six  to  eight  hun¬ 
dred  feet  in  height,  whose  surface  is  blackened  by  the 
sun,  surround  the  avenues  leading  to  the  elevated  plat¬ 
form  to  which  the  name  of  Sinai  is  specifically  ap¬ 
plied.  These  cliffs  enclose  the  holy  mountain  on  three 
sides,  leaving  the  E.  and  N.  E.  sides  only,  towards  the 
Gulf  of  ’Akabah,  more  open  to  the  view.  We  entered 
these  cliffs  by  a  narrow  defile  about  forty  feet  in 

1)  Ex.  xvii.  1,  5, 6.  xix.  1,  2.  See  also  Note  XV,  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 


I 


Sec.  m.] 


REPHIDIM. 


179 


breadth,  with  perpendicular  granite  rocks  on  both 
sides.  [In  this  defile  is  the  Seat  of  Moses,  so  called.] 
Beyond  it  the  valley  opens,  the  mountains  on  both 
sides  diverge,  and  the  Wady  esh-Sheikh  continues  in 
a  S.  direction  with  a  slight  ascent.”1  The  entrance  to 
this  defile  from  the  West,  is  five  hours  distant  from  the 
point  where  Wady  esh-Sheikh  issues  from  the  plain 
er-Rahah.  This  would  correspond  well  to  the  distance 
of  Rephidim ;  and  then  these  blackened  cliffs  would  be 
the  outskirts  of  Horeb.  I  am  not  aw  are  of  any  objec¬ 
tion  to  this  view,  except  one  which  applies  equally  to 
every  part  of  Wady  esh-Sheikh  and  the  adjacent  dis¬ 
trict,  viz.  that  neither  here  nor  in  all  this  tract  is  there 
at  the  present  day  any  special  want  of  water.  There 
is  a  well  near  the  defile  itself ;  and  an  hour  above  it  a 
spring  called  Abu  Suweirah,  which  we  visited ;  besides 
others  in  various  quarters.  This  difficulty  I  am  not 
able  to  solve ;  except  by  supposing,  that  as  the  people 
appear  to  have  remained  for  some  time  at  Rephidim, 
the  small  supply  of  water  was  speedily  exhausted. 

It  was  during  the  encampment  at  Rephidim  that 
Amalek  came  and  fought  with  Israel.2  It  is  not  neces¬ 
sary  here  to  look  for  a  wide  open  plain,  on  which  the 
battle  might  take  place  according  to  the  rules  of 
modern  warfare.  The  Amalekites  were  a  nomadic 
tribe,  making  an  irregular  attack  upon  a  multitude 
probably  not  better  trained  than  themselves ;  and  for 
such  a  conflict  the  low  hills  and  open  country  around 
this  part  of  Wady  esh-Sheikh  would  afford  ample 
space. 

After  the  departure  of  the  Israelites  from  Mount 
Sinai,  there  is  no  account,  either  in  Scripture  or  else¬ 
where,  of  its  having  been  visited  by  any  Jew;  except 
by  the  prophet  Elijah,  when  he  fled  from  themachina- 


1)  Travels,  etc,  p.  488. 


2)  Ex.  xvii.  8. 


180 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


tions  of  Jezebel.1  This  is  the  more  remarkable;  as 
this  region  had  been  the  seat  of  the  revelation  of  their 
law,  to  which  they  clung  so  tenaciously ;  and  because 
from  the  splendour  and  terrors  of  that  scene,  the  in¬ 
spired  Hebrew  poets  were  wont  to  draw  their  sublimest 
images. 

SINAI  IN  THE  EARLY  CHRISTIAN  AGES. 

No  very  distinct  notices  of  Sinai  appear  in  the 
earliest  Christian  writers.  Dionysius  of  Alexandria, 
about  A.  D.  250,  mentions,  that  these  mountains  were 
the  refuge  of  Egyptian  Christians  in  times  of  persecu¬ 
tion  ;  where  they  were  sometimes  seized  as  slaves  by 
the  Saracens  or  Arabs.2  The  legend  of  St.  Catharine 
of  Alexandria,  who  first  fled  to  Sinai,  and  whose  body 
after  martyrdom  at  Alexandria  is  said  to  have  been 
carried  by  angels  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain  that 
now  bears  her  name,  is  laid  in  the  beginning  of  the 
next  or  fourth  century,  about  A.  D.  307.3  In  the  third 
and  fourth  centuries  also,  ascetics  and  anchorites  took 
their  rise  in  Egypt ;  and  were  soon  followed  by  com¬ 
munities  of  monks  in  desert  places.  There  is  no  men¬ 
tion  of  the  first  introduction  of  these  holy  persons  and 
communities  into  the  peninsula  of  Mount  Sinai ;  but 
it  is  natural  to  suppose,  that  a  region  so  well  adapted 
to  their  purposes  by  its  loneliness  and  desolation,  would 
not  be  overlooked  by  them,  nor  long  remain  untenanted. 

Accordingly  we  find,  from  various  writings  pre¬ 
served  among  the  remains  of  monastic  piety  and 
learning,  that  during  the  fourth  century  this  mountain 
was  already  the  seat  of  many  anchorites ;  who,  al¬ 
though  residing  in  separate  cells,  had  regular  inter¬ 
course  with  each  other,  and  gathered  in  small  com¬ 
munities  around  the  more  distinguished  ascetics  and 

1)  1  Kings  xix.  3 — 8.  3)  Baronius  Annal.  A.  D.  307. 

2)  Euseb.  Hist.  Ecc.  VI.  42.  XXXIII. 


Sec.  HI.] 


THE  EARLY  CHRISTIAN  AGES. 


181 


teachers.  The  earliest  of  these  fathers  of  whom  I 
find  mention  at  Sinai,  was  the  Abbot  Silvanus,  an 
Egyptian  anchorite,  who  retired  for  some  years  to  this 
mountain  apparently  about  A.  D.  365 ;  and  went  after¬ 
wards  to  Gerar,  where  he  became  the  head  of  a  large 
community  of  ascetics.1  At  Sinai  he  had  a  garden 
which  he  tilled  and  watered ;  and  although  he  was 
the  Superior  of  several  anchorites,  yet  he  is  said  to 
have  lived  alone  with  only  his  disciple  Zacharias.2 

A  fuller  notice  of  Sinai  about  the  same  period,  is 
found  in  the  little  tract  of  Ammonius,  a  monk  of 
Canopus  in  Egypt ;  who,  after  visiting  the  holy  places 
in  Palestine,  returned  by  way  of  Mount  Sinai,  in  com¬ 
pany  with  other  Christians  who  made  the  same  pil¬ 
grimage.  They  reached  Sinai  in  eighteen  days  from 
Jerusalem  by  way  of  the  desert.  This  visit  appears 
to  have  taken  place  in  or  about  A.  D.  373.3  The  pil¬ 
grim  found  many  anchorites  living  here  under  a  Supe¬ 
rior  named  Doulas,  a  man  of  uncommon  piety  and 
meekness.  They  subsisted  only  on  dates,  berries,  and 
other  like  fruits,  without  wine,  or  oil,  or  even  bread. 
Yet  for  the  sake  of  strangers  and  guests,  a  few  loaves 
were  kept  by  the  Superior.  They  passed  the  whole 
week  in  the  silence  and  solitude  of  their  cells,  until 
the  evening  of  Saturday ;  when  they  assembled  in  the 
church  and  continued  all  night  together  in  prayer.  In 
the  morning  of  the  Lord’s  day  they  received  the  sacra¬ 
ment,  and  then  returned  to  their  cells. 

A  few  days  after  the  arrival  of  Ammon,  the  Sara¬ 
cens,  whose  chief  had  lately  died,  made  an  attack 


1)  Tillemont  Memoires  pour 
servir  a  l’Histoire  Ecclesiast.  X. 
p.  448,  seq.  Cotelier  Ecclesiae 
Graec.  Mon.  I.  p.  563,  seq. 

2)  Tillemont  1.  c.  p.  451.  Cote¬ 
lier  1.  c.  p.  680. 

3)  This  tract  of  Ammonius  is 
found  in  the  work  of  Combefis, 


Tllustrium  Christ  i  Marty  rum  lecti 
Triumphi ,  Paris  1660.  8vo.  p.  88, 
seq.  A  very  exact  abstract  of  it 
is  given  by  Tillemont,  Memoires 
pour  servir  a  l’Hist.  Ecc.  VII.  p. 
573,  seq.  The  date  given  in  the 
text  is  that  assigned  by  Tillemont, 
1.  c.  p.  782,  seq. 


182 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


upon  these  holy  men.  Doulas  and  those  with  him  re¬ 
tired  into  a  tower ;  but  all  who  could  not  reach  this 
place  of  safety,  were  killed.  The  Saracens  attacked 
the  tower,  and  were  near  to  take  it ;  when,  according 
to  Ammonius,  the  top  of  the  mountain  appeared  all  in 
flame,  and  frightened  the  barbarians  from  their  pur¬ 
pose.  They  fled ;  and  the  fathers  descended  to  seek 
and  bury  the  slain.  They  found  thirty-eight  corpses ; 
twelve  of  which  were  in  the  monastery  Gethrabbi,1 
and  others  in  Chobar  and  Codar.  Two  hermits,  Isaiah 
and  Sabbas,  were  found  still  alive,  though  mortally 
wounded ;  making  up  in  all  the  number  of  forty  killed.2 
At  the  same  time,  a  similar  massacre  of  Christian  an¬ 
chorites  took  place  at  Raithou,  situated  on  the  coast  of 
the  Red  Sea,  two  days’  distance  from  Sinai.  This 
place  was  regarded  as  the  Elim  of  the  Scriptures ; 
and  corresponds  to  the  modern  Tur.3 

Somewhat  more  definite  and  equally  mournful,  is 
the  narrative  of  Nilus;  who  himself  resided  many 
years  at  Sinai  from  about  A.  D.  390  onwards,  and  was 
present  at  a  second  massacre  of  the  ascetics  during  a 
similar  incursion  of  the  Saracens.4  He  relates,  that 


1)  Nilus  writes  this  name  Beth- 
rambe ;  Nili  Opera  quaed.  p.  89. 
Is  the  Chobar  (XojJao)  in  the  text 
perhaps  a  corruption  for  Horeb  ? 

2)  The  Greeks  and  Latins 
solemnize  the  14th  of  January  as 
the  day  on  which  these  martyrs 
were  killed ;  see  Acta  Sanctorum, 
Jan.  Tom.  I.  p.  961.  Tillemont, 
1.  c.  VII.  p.  573. — It  was  doubtless 
from  these  forty  martyrs,  that  the 
convent  el-Arba’in,  ‘  the  Forty,’ 
received  its  name.  Not  improba¬ 
bly  it  may  have  been  the  Geth- 
rabbi  of  the  text.  Comp.  Quares- 
mius  Elucid.  Terr.  Sanct.  II.  p. 
996. 

3)  Raithou  (* Pa'i&ov)  is  also 
mentioned  by  Cosmas  Indicopleu- 

stes,  (about  A.  D.  535,)  as  the  pro¬ 


bable  site  of  Elim ;  Topogr. 
Christ,  in  Montfaucon’s  Coll,  nov. 
Patrum,  II.  p.  195.  The  place  oc¬ 
cupied  by  the  convent  near  Tur  is 
still  called  Raitliu  by  the  Greeks ; 
Ruppell’s  Reisen  in  Nubien,  etc. 
181.  Sicard  in  Nouv.  Mem.  des 
iss.  dans  le  Levant,  1715.  Tom. 
I.  p.  20. 

4)  Nilus  himself  wrote  an  ac¬ 
count  of  this  massacre  in  Greek; 
see  Nili  Opera  quaed  am,  ed.  P. 
Possino ,  Gr.  et  Lat.  Paris,  1639. 
The  Latin  version  is  also  printed 
in  the  Acta  Sanctorum,  Jan.  Tom. 
I.  p.  953,  seq.  See  too  a  very  com¬ 
plete  summary  of  this  tract  of 
Nilus,  in  Tillemont  Memoires  pour 
servir  a  l’Histoire  Eccl.  Tom.  XIV. 
p.  189,  seq. 


Sec.  III.] 


THE  EARLY  CHRISTIAN  AGES. 


183 


these  holy  men  had  fixed  their  cells  upon  the  moun¬ 
tain  at  the  distance  of  a  mile  or  more  from  each  other, 
in  order  to  avoid  mutual  interruption  during  the  week ; 
although  they  occasionally  visited  each  other.  On 
the  eve  of  the  Lord’s  day  they  descended  to  the  holy 
place  of  the  Bush,  where  was  a  church  and  appa¬ 
rently  a  convent;  or  at  least  a  place  where  stores 
were  laid  up  for  the  winter.  Here  they  spent  the 
night  at  prayers ;  received  the  sacrament  in  the  morn¬ 
ing  of  Sunday ;  and  after  passing  some  time  in  spirit¬ 
ual  conversation  returned  to  their  cells.  One  morning, 
the  14th  of  January,  as  they  w^ere  about  to  separate, 
they  were  attacked  by  a  party  of  Saracens,  who  drove 
them  all  into  the  church,  while  they  plundered  the  re¬ 
pository  of  stores.  Then,  bringing  them  out,  the  bar¬ 
barians  killed  the  Superior  Theodulus  and  tvro  others 
outright ;  reserved  several  of  the  younger  men  as  cap¬ 
tives  ;  and  suffered  the  rest  to  escape  up  the  sides  of 
the  mountains.  Among  these  last  was  Nilus ;  his  son 
Theodulus  was  among  the  captives.  The  Saracens 
now  withdrew,  taking  the  captives  with  them,  and 
killing  eight  other  anchorites  in  various  places.  Nilus 
and  his  companions  in  flight  descended  at  night  and 
buried  the  dead  bodies  ;  and  afterwards  retired  to 
Pharan  (Feiran).  The  council  or  senate  of  this  city 
immediately  sent  messengers  to  the  king  of  the  Sara¬ 
cens  ;  who  disavowed  the  outrage  and  promised  repa¬ 
ration.  Meantime  Theodulus  had  been  sold  and 
brought  to  Elusa;  where  he  was  redeemed  by  the 
bishop  of  that  city,  and  ultimately  recovered  by  his 
father. 

In  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century,  we  find  a  letter 
from  the  emperor  Marcian  to  the  bishop  Macarius,  the 
archimandrites,  and  monks  in  Mount  Sinai,  “  where 
are  situated  monasteries  beloved  of  God  and  worthy 
of  all  honour,”  warning  them  against  the  dangerous 


184 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


tenets  and  practices  of  the  heretic  Theodosius,  who 
had  fled  to  these  mountains,  after  the  council  of  Chal- 
cedon,  A.  D.  451. 1  Nearly  a  century  later,  A.  D.  536, 
among  the  subscriptions  at  the  council  of  Constanti¬ 
nople,  appears  the  name  of  Theonas,  a  presbyter  and 
legate  of  the  holy  Mount  Sinai,  the  desert  Raithou 
(Tur),  and  the  holy  church  at  Pharan.2 

The  tradition  of  the  present  convent  relates,  that 
it  was  established  by  the  emperor  Justinian  A.  D.  527, 
on  the  place  where  a  small  church  had  been  built  by 
Helena  long  before.  The  main  fact  of  this  tradition, 
the  building  of  the  great  church,  is  supported  by  the 
testimony  of  Procopius  the  historian,  who  flourished 
about  the  middle  of  the  same  century.  He  relates  that 
Mount  Sinai  was  then  inhabited  by  monks,  “  whose 
whole  life  was  but  a  continual  preparation  for  death  ;” 
and  that  in  consideration  of  their  holy  abstinence  from 
all  worldly  enjoyments,  Justinian  caused  a  church  to 
be  erected  for  them,  and  dedicated  it  to  the  holy  Virgin.3 
This  was  placed  not  upon  the  summit  of  the  mountain, 
but  far  below ;  because  no  one  could  pass  the  night 
upon  the  top,  on  account  of  the  constant  sounds  and 
other  supernatural  phenomena  which  were  there  per¬ 
ceptible.4  At  the  foot  or  outmost  base  of  the  moun¬ 
tain,  according  to  Procopius,  the  same  emperor  built  a 


1)  Harduin  Acta  Concilior.  II. 
col.  665,  compared  with  col.  685. 

2)  Harduin  Acta  Cone.  II.  col. 
1281,  1304. 

3)  This  is  doubtless  the  church 
now  standing;  which,  however, 
bears  the  name  of  the  Transfigur¬ 
ation. 

4)  Procop.  de  Aedificiis  Justini- 
ani,  lib.  V.  8.  We  did  not  notice 
the  Greek  inscription  over  the 
gate,  given  by  M.  Letronne  in  the 
Journal  des  Savans,  Sept.  1836,  p. 
358.  Burckhardt  speaks  only  of 
one  in  modern  Arabic  characters, 


with  the  same  contents.  Both 
inscriptions  refer  the  building  of 
the  convent  to  Justinian  in  the 
thirtieth  year  of  his  reign,  A.  D. 
527.  But  in  that  year  Justinian 
first  ascended  the  throne ;  and  the 
inscription  is  doubtless  therefore 
the  work  of  a  later  age,  and  found¬ 
ed  on  a  false  tradition.  As  to  the 
chapel  said  to  have  been  built 
by  Helena,  there  is  not  the  slight¬ 
est  historical  hint  that  she  was 
ever  in  the  region  of  Mount  Sinai, 
or  caused  any  church  to  be  erected 
there. 


Sec.  III.] 


THE  EARLY  CONVENT. 


185 


strong  fortress,  with  a  select  garrison,  to  prevent  the 
inroads  of  the  Saracens  from  that  quarter  into  Pales¬ 
tine. 

More  explicit  is  the  testimony  of  Eutychius,  Patri¬ 
arch  of  Alexandria  in  the  latter  half  of  the  ninth  cen¬ 
tury  ;  which  apparently  as  yet  has  never  been  referred 
to,  but  which  shows  that  the  present  tradition  has 
come  down  with  little  variation  since  that  age.  He 
relates  that  Justinian  caused  a  fortified  convent  to  be 
erected  for  the  monks  of  Sinai,  including  the  former 
tower  and  chapel,  in  order  to  protect  them  from  the 
incursions  of  the  Ishmaelites.  This  accords  with  the 
appearance  of  the  building  at  the  present  day ;  and  is 
probably  the  same  work  which  Procopius  has  con¬ 
founded  with  a  fortress.1 

Towards  the  close  of  the  same  (sixth)  century, 
Sinai  was  visited  by  Antoninus  Martyr ;  who  found  in 
the  recently  erected  convent  three  Abbots,  who  spoke 
the  Syrian,  Greek,  Egyptian  and  Besta  (Arabic?)  lan¬ 
guages.  A  chapel  was  already  built  upon  the  summit, 
and  the  whole  region  was  full  of  the  cells  and  dwell¬ 
ings  of  hermits.  On  a  part  of  Mount  Horeb  or  Moun¬ 
tain  of  the  Cross,  the  Saracens  or  Ishmaelites  (Anto¬ 
ninus  calls  them  by  both  names)  at  that  time  venera¬ 
ted  an  idol,  apparently  connected  with  the  worship  of 
the  morning  star,  which  was  common  among  the  Sara¬ 
cens. — It  appears  then,  that  these  Saracens,  the  de¬ 
scendants  of  the  Nabatheans,  had  continued  to  inhabit 
the  peninsula,  notwithstanding  the  intrusion  of  the 
monks  and  Christians.  They  differed  probably  in  few 
respects  from  the  Arabs  of  the  present  day. 

During  the  earlier  centuries  of  this  monastic  pos- 

1)  Eutychii  Annales,  ed.  Po-  Not  improbably  the  “  Arabic  docu- 
cocke,  II.  p.  160.  The  whole  pas-  ment”  mentioned  by  Burckhardt, 
sage  is  so  curious,  that  a  full  (p.  545,)  as  preserved  in  the  con- 
translation  of  it  is  given  in  Note  vent,  may  be  a  manuscript  of  the 
XVIII,  at  the  end  of  the  volume,  work  of  Eutychius. 

Yol.  I.  24 


18(5 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


session  of  the  peninsula,  the  seat  of  the  bishop  appears 
to  have  been  at  Pharan  or  Faran,  the  present  Feiran ; 
where  was  likewise  a  Christian  population  and  a 
senate  or  council  so  early  as  the  time  of  Nilus,  about 
A.  D.  400.  About  this  time  too  Naterus  or  Nathyr 
is  mentioned  as  its  bishop.  The  bishop  Macarius  spo¬ 
ken  of  above  probably  had  his  seat  there ;  and  before 
the  middle  of  the  sixth  century  there  is  express  men¬ 
tion  of  Photius  as  bishop  of  Pharan.1  About  the  same 
time,  A.  D.  535,  Pharan  is  mentioned  by  Cosmas  as 
the  location  of  Rephidim.2  Theodoras  of  the  same  see 
was  famous  in  the  Monothelitic  controversy,  and  was 
denounced  by  two  councils ;  that  of  the  Lateran,  A.  D. 
649,  and  that  of  Constantinople,  A.  D.  680.  The  town 
of  Faran  or  Feiran  was  situated  in  the  Wady  of  that 
name,  opposite  to  Jebel  Serbal.  Riippell  found  here 
the  remains  of  a  church,  the  architecture  of  which  he 
assigns  to  the  fifth  century ;  and  Burckhardt  speaks 
of  the  remains  of  some  two  hundred  houses,  and 
the  ruins  of  several  towers  visible  on  the  neighbouring 
hills.3  With  the  episcopal  city  the  monasteries  around 
Serbal  and  Sinai  stood  of  course  in  intimate  connec¬ 
tion  ;  until  at  length  the  growing  importance  and  influ¬ 
ence  of  the  convent  established  by  Justinian,  appears 
to  have  superseded  the  claims  of  Faran,  and  to  have 
caused  the  chief  episcopal  seat  to  be  transferred  within 
its  own  walls,  at  least  before  the  close  of  the  tenth 
century.  The  death  of  Jorius,  “  bishop  of  Mount 
Sinai,”  is  recorded  in  A.  D.  1033.4  At  this  time  Sinai 
as  an  episcopal  see  stood  directly  under  the  Patriarch 
of  Jerusalem,  as  an  Arcliiepiscopate  ;  that  is,  without 


1)  Le  (Tuien  Oriens  Christ.  III. 
col.  753.  Comp.  Tillemont  Me- 
moires,  etc.  X.  p.  453. 

2)  Cosmas  Indicopl.  Topogr. 

Christ,  in  Montfaucon  Coll.  nov. 

Patrum,  II.  p.  195. 


3)  Ruppell’s  Reisen  in  Nubien, 
etc.  p.  263.  Burckhardt’s  Travels, 
etc.  p.  616.  See  more  on  Pharan 
in  Note  XVI,  at  the  end  of  the 
volume. 

4)  Le  Q-uien,  1.  c.  col.  754. 


Sec.  III.] 


THE  EARLY  CONVENT. 


187 


the  intervention  of  a  metropolitan  ;  and  although  the 
name  of  Faran  still  appears  as  a  bishopric,  yet  all 
further  notices  of  its  importance  are  wanting.1 

After  the  Muhammedan  conquests,  when  the  Sara¬ 
cens  of  the  peninsula  would  seem  to  have  exchanged 
their  heathen  worship  for  the  tenets  of  the  false  prophet, 
the  anchorites  and  inmates  of  the  monasteries  appear 
to  have  continued  to  live  on  in  the  same  state  of  inqui¬ 
etude,  and  sometimes  perhaps  of  danger.  Near  the  close 
of  the  sixth  century,  and  during  the  seventh,  the  well- 
known  monkish  writers,  Johannes  Climacus  and  Anas¬ 
tasias  Sinaita,  flourished  here.  About  the  middle  of  the 
tenth  century  the  monks  of  Sinai  are  reported  to  have 
all  fled  for  their  lives  to  a  mountain  called  Latrum.2  In 
the  beginning  of  the  eleventh  century,  the  convent 
was  again  in  a  flourishing  state,  and  was  visited  by 
great  numbers  of  pilgrims.  At  this  time  the  cele¬ 
brated  St.  Simeon  resided  here  as  a  monk;  who  under¬ 
stood  the  Egyptian,  Syriac,  Arabic,  Greek  and  Latin 
languages ;  and  who  in  A.  D.  1027  came  to  Europe 
and  was  hospitably  entertained  by  Richard  II.  Duke 
of  Normandy.  He  brought  with  him  relics  of  St. 
Catharine,  and  collected  alms  for  the  convent;  but 
afterwards  founded  an  abbey  in  France,  where  he 
died.3  In  A.  D.  1116,  King  Baldwin  I.  of  Jerusalem 
made  an  excursion  to  the  Gulf  of  ’Akabah,  and  ex¬ 
pressed  the  intention  of  visiting  Mount  Sinai ;  he  was 
persuaded  not  to  do  so  by  messengers  from  the  monks, 
in  order  that  they  might  not  by  his  visit  be  exposed 


1)  See  the  Notitia  ecclesiastica 
ofNilus,  A.  D.  1151,  and  that  ap¬ 
pended  to  the  history  of  William 
of  Tyre,  Gesta  Dei  per  Francos, 
p.  1045.  These  are  given  in  full 
by  Reland,  Palaest.  pp.  219,  220, 
228. — Jacob  de  Vitry  in  the  begin¬ 
ning  of  the  twelfth  century  speaks 
of  Sinai  as  the  only  suffragan-see 
under  the  metropolitan  of  Petra, 


i.  e.  Kerak;  Gesta  Dei,  etc.  p. 
1077. 

2)  Baronius  Annal.  A.  D.  956, 
VIII. 

3)  See  Mabillon  Acta  Sanctor. 
Ord.  Benedict.  Saec.  VI.  P.  I.  p. 
374.  Ejusd.  Annales  Ord.  St. 
Benedict,  lib.  56.  c.  35,  36.  Hist. 
Literaire  de  France,  Tom.  VII.  p. 
67. 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


188 


[Sec.  III. 


to  suspicion  and  danger  from  their  Mussulman  mas¬ 
ters.1 

All  the  circumstances  hitherto  detailed,  seem  to 
render  it  probable,  that  from  about  the  beginning  of 
the  fourth  century  onwards  a  very  considerable  Chris¬ 
tian  population  existed  in  the  peninsula.  The  remains 
of  the  many  convents,  chapels  and  hermitages,  which 
are  still  visible  in  various  quarters,  go  to  show  the 
same  thing ;  and  add  weight  to  the  tradition  of  the 
present  convent,  that  at  the  time  of  the  Muhammedan 
conquest,  six  or  seven  thousand  monks  and  hermits 
were  dispersed  over  the  mountains.2  That  pilgrimages 
to  these  holy  spots,  so  sacred  in  themselves,  and  as 
the  abodes  of  holy  men,  should  then  be  frequent,  was 
in  that  age  almost  a  matter  of  course ;  and  these  are 
continued  more  or  less  even  to  the  present  day. 

With  these  early  pilgrimages  the  celebrated  Si- 
naite  inscriptions  have  been  supposed  to  stand  in  close 
connection.  Several  of  them  have  been  mentioned 
above  as  occurring  on  our  way  to  Sinai ;  and  they 
are  found  on  all  the  routes  which  lead  from  the 
West  towards  this  mountain,  as  far  South  as  Tur. 
They  extend  to  the  very  base  of  Sinai,  above  the  con¬ 
vent  el-Arba’in;  but  are  found  neither  on  Jebel  Musa, 
nor  on  the  present  Horeb,  nor  on  St.  Catharine,  nor  in 
the  valley  of  the  convent ;  while  on  Serbal  they  are 
seen  on  its  very  summits.  Not  one  has  yet  been 
found  to  the  eastward  of  Sinai.  But  the  spot  where 
they  exist  in  the  greatest  number  is  the  W ady  Mukat- 
teb,  1  Written  Valley/  through  which  the  usual  road 
to  Sinai  passes  before  reaching  Wady  Feiran.  Here 
they  occur  by  thousands  on  the  rocks,  chiefly  at  such 
points  as  would  form  convenient  resting-places  for 


1)  Albert.  Aq.  XII.  22,  in  Gesta  2)  Burckliardt’s  Travels,  etc. 
Dei  per  Francos.  Wilken  Gesch.  p.546. 
der  Kreuzziige,  II.  p,  403. 


Sec.  III.] 


INSCRIPTIONS. 


189 


travellers  or  pilgrims  during  the  noon-day  sun as  is 
also  the  case  with  those  we  saw  upon  the  other  route. 
Many  of  them  are  accompanied  by  crosses,  sometimes 
obviously  of  the  same  date  with  the  inscription,  and 
sometimes  apparently  later  or  retouched.  The  char¬ 
acter  is  everywhere  the  same ;  but  until  recently  it  has 
remained  undeciphered  in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the 
ablest  paleographists.  The  inscriptions  are  usually 
short  ;  and  most  of  them  exhibit  the  same  initial 
characters.  Some  Greek  inscriptions  are  occasionally 
intermingled. 

These  inscriptions  are  first  mentioned  by  Cosmas, 
about  A.  D.  535.  He  supposed  them  to  be  the  work 
of  the  ancient  Hebrews;  and  says  certain  Jews,  who 
had  read  them,  explained  them  to  him  as  noting  u  the 
journey  of  such  an  one,  out  of  such  a  tribe,  in  such  a 
year  and  month  much  in  the  manner  of  modern 
travellers.^  Farther  than  this,  the  most  recent  deci- 
pherer  has  as  yet  hardly  advanced.  When  the  at¬ 
tention  of  European  scholars  was  again  turned  upon 
these  inscriptions  by  Clayton,  bishop  of  Clogher, 
about  the  middle  of  the  last  century,1 2 3  they  were  still 
attributed  by  him  and  others  to  the  Hebrews  on  their 
journey  to  Sinai.  Since  that  time  they  have  usually 
been  regarded  as  probably  the  work  of  Christian  pil¬ 
grims  on  their  way  from  Egypt  to  Mount  Sinai,  during 
the  fourth  century.  At  any  rate,  the  contents  of  them 
were  already  unknown  in  the  time  of  Cosmas ;  and 
no  tradition  appears  to  have  existed  respecting  their 
origin.  As  to  the  character,  Gesenius  supposed  it  to 


1)  Burckhardt’s  Travels,  etc. 
620. 

2)  Cosmas  Indicopl.  Topogr. 
Christ,  in  Montfaucon’s  Collect, 
nov.  Patrum,  II.  p.  205. 

3)  See  his  Letter  to  the  Society 
of  Antiquaries,  published  under  the 
title:  “Journal  from  Grand  Cairo 


to  Mount  Sinai,”  etc.  Lond.  1753. 
This  is  the  Journal  of  the  Prefect 
of  the  Franciscans  in  Cairo,  al¬ 
ready  referred  to.  The  Bishop  of¬ 
fers  in  his  Letter,  to  bear  any  pro¬ 
per  portion  of  the  expense  which 
might  arise  from  sending  a  person 
to  copy  these  inscriptions,  p.  4. 


190 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


belong  to  that  species  of  the  Phenician,  or  rather  Ara¬ 
maean,  which,  in  the  first  centuries  of  the  Christian 
era,  was  extensively  employed  throughout  Syria,  and 
partially  in  Egypt ;  having  most  affinity  with  that  of 
the  Palmyrene  inscriptions.  Prof.  Beer  of  Leipzig, 
on  the  other  hand,  who  has  quite  recently  deciphered 
these  inscriptions  for  the  first  time,  regards  them  as 
exhibiting  the  only  remains  of  the  language  and  char¬ 
acter  once  peculiar  to  the  Nahatlneans  of  Arabia  Pe¬ 
tr  a' a  ;  and  supposes,  that  if  at  a  future  time  stones  with 
the  writing  of  the  country  shall  be  found  among  the 
ruins  of  Petra,  the  character  will  prove  to  be  the 
same  with  that  of  the  inscriptions  of  Sinai.  Accord¬ 
ing  to  this  view,  they  may  not  improbably  turn  out  to 
have  been  made  by  the  native  inhabitants  of  the 
mountains. — Still,  it  cannot  but  be  regarded  as  a  most 
singular  fact,  that  here  in  these  lone  mountains  an  al¬ 
phabet  should  be  found  upon  the  rocks,  which  is  shown 
by  the  thousands  of  inscriptions  to  have  been  once  a 
very  current  one,  but  of  which  perhaps  elsewhere  not 
a  trace  remains.1 

THE  MODERN  CONVENT. 

After  the  times  of  the  crusades  the  first  notices  of 
Mount  Sinai  and  the  present  convent  are  from  Sir 
John  Maundeville,  William  de  Baldensel,  and  Peter 
or  Rudolf  de  Suchem,  who  all  visited  this  region  in 
the  first  half  of  the  fourteenth  century.  The  latter 
traveller  (A.  D.  1336 — 50)  found  here  more  than 
four  hundred  monks,  under  an  archbishop  and  prelates ; 
including  lay  brethren,  who  did  hard  labour  among  the 
mountains,  and  went  with  camels  from  Elim  to  Baby¬ 
lon  (Tur  to  Fostat),  carying  charcoal  and  dates  in 
large  quantities  to  market.  In  this  way  the  convent 


1)  See  more  in  Note  XVII,  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 


Sec.  III.] 


THE  MODERN  CONVENT. 


191 


obtained  a  scanty  support  for  its  own  inmates,  and 
for  the  strangers  who  came  to  visit  them.1 

Burckhardt  found  among  the  archives  of  the  con¬ 
vent  the  original  of  a  compact  between  the  monks  and 
the  Bedawin,  made  in  the  year  A.  H.  800  or  A.  D, 
1398  ;  from  which  it  appears  that  at  that  time,  besides 
the  great  convent,  six  others  were  still  existing  in  the 
peninsula,  exclusive  of  a  number  of  chapels  and  her¬ 
mitages.  In  the  fifteenth  century  there  was  an  inhab¬ 
ited  convent  at  Feiran.  From  another  document  two 
and  a  half  centuries  later  (A.  H.  1053,  A.  D.  1643)  it 
appears  that  all  these  minor  establishments  had  been 
already  abandoned,  and  that  the  great  convent  alone 
remained;  still  holding  property  at  Feiran,  Tur,  and 
in  other  fertile  vallies.2  This  accords  with  the  testi- 
mony  of  travellers  in  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centu¬ 
ries,  who  speak  only  of  deserted  convents  besides  that 
of  Sinai.3  In  this  monastery  in  A.  D.  1484,  Felix 
Fabri  relates,  that  there  were  then  said  to  be  eighty 
monks,  although  he  did  not  see  half  that  number.  In 
Belongs  time,  about  A.  D.  1546,  the  number  was 
reduced  to  sixty ; 4  and  Helffrich  in  A.  D.  1565,  found 
the  convent  temporarily  abandoned.  A  century  later 
Von  Troilo  found  seventy  monks.  At  present  the  num¬ 
ber  varies  between  twenty  and  thirty ;  though  we  found 
only  twenty-one,  of  whom  six  were  priests,  and  fifteen 
lay  brethren ;  but  two  or  three  new  members  appar¬ 
ently  arrived  with  us.  The  present  inmates  are  chiefly 
from  the  Greek  islands ;  and  remain  here  for  the  most 


1)  Reissbuch  des  heil.  Landes, 
Ed.  2,  p.  839. — Ritter  refers  this 
passage  to  the  Jebeliyeh  or  serfs 
of  the  convent.  But  it  speaks  ex¬ 
pressly  and  only  of  lay  brothers ; 
and  moreover  the  serfs  were  never 
entrusted  with  such  matters.  See 
Geschichte  des  Petr.  Arabiens,  in 


Abhandl.  der  Berl.  Acad.  1824. 
Hist.  phil.  Cl.  p.  222. 

2)  Burckhardt’s  Travels,  etc. 
p.  547,  seq.  617. 

3)  So  Tucher,  A.  D.  1479; 
Breydenbach  and  Fabri,  1484  ;  and 
many  others. 

4)  Observat.  Paris  1588,  p.  2S2. 


192 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


part  only  a  few  years.  The  affiliated  or  branch 
convent  at  Cairo  has  a  prior  and  forty  or  fifty  monks.1 

All  the  earlier  travellers  to  Sinai  without  exception 
speak  of  this  as  the  convent  of  St.  Catharine ;  and  of 
the  monks  as  belonging  to  the  order  of  St.  Basil. 
Burckhardt  on  the  other  hand  says  the  monastery  is 
dedicated  to  the  Transfiguration ;  which  is  at  least 
true  of  the  church.  Riippell  again  calls  it  the  Con¬ 
vent  of  the  Annunciation,  on  what  authority  I  know 
not.  Nor  am  I  able  to  affirm  which  of  all  these  state¬ 
ments  is  most  correct. 

The  last  archbishop  who  resided  in  the  convent,  is 
said  to  have  been  Kyrillos,  who  died  here  in  A.  D. 
1760.2  Since  that  time  it  has  been  found  advisable 
for  this  prelate  to  pass  his  life  abroad,  in  order  to  avoid 
the  rapacious  exactions  of  the  Arabs  on  the  occasion 
of  his  accession  and  entrance  into  the  convent.  Long 
before  that  period  the  great  gate  of  the  convent  had 
been  walled  up  in  self-defence,  being  opened  only  to 
admit  a  new  archbishop ;  and  even  this  seems  not  to 
have  taken  place  since  A.  D.  1722.3  The  present 
archbishop  is  the  ex-patriarch  of  Constantinople  ;  and 
were  he  to  visit  the  convent,  the  great  gate  (it  was 
said)  would  have  to  be  thrown  open  and  remain  so  for 


1)  It  is  this  branch  convent  that 
gives  letters  of  introduction  to 
travellers  visiting  Sinai  from 
Cairo.  For  want  of  such  a  letter, 
Niebuhr  in  1762  was  refused  ad¬ 
mission  to  the  convent  at  Sinai ; 
but  we  were  there  told  that  a  let¬ 
ter  is  not  now  indispensable,  all 
who  come  being  received.  Still  it 
is  better  to  have  one.  See  Nie¬ 
buhr’s  Reisebeschr.  I.  p.  244. 

2)  Burckhardt,  p.  549. 

3)  Burckhardt  says  not  since 
A.  D.  1709  ;  but  the  Prefect  of  the 
Franciscans,  who  was  here  in 
1722,  relates  that  it  had  been  open 
that  very  year.  This  writer  also 


seems  to  be  the  first  who  speaks 
of  the  traveller’s  being  drawn  up 
to  the  high  door  or  window.  The 
same  is  mentioned  by  Van  Eg- 
mond  and  Heyman  about  the  same 
time.  Von  Troilo,  A.  D.  1666, 
describes  the  entrance  as  low,  and 
defended  by  double  iron  doors, 
which  Avere  kept  fastened  night 
and  day.  He  likewise  mentions 
a  high  window,  through  which 
the  monks  let  down  food  in  a  bas¬ 
ket  for  the  Arabs  by  a  cord,  but 
gives  no  hint  that  travellers  were 
draAvn  up  the  same  way.  Reise- 
beschreibung,  Dread.  1676,  pp. 
379,  3S0. 


Sec.  in.] 


- 


CONVENT  AND  MONKS. 


193 


six  months ;  during  which  time  the  Arabs  would  have 
the  right  to  come  at  will  and  eat  and  drink ;  and 
many  thousand  dollars  would  not  cover  the  expense. 

The  archbishop  is  elected  by  a  council  of  the 
monks,  which  manages  in  common  the  affairs  of  this 
convent  and  the  branch  at  Cairo.  This  prelate  is 
always  selected  from  the  priests  of  the  monastery ; 
and  having  then  been  consecrated  as  bishop  by  the 
Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  (in  consequence  of  the  ancient 
connection,)  he  becomes  one  of  the  four  independent 
archbishops  of  the  Greek  church ;  the  others  being  at 
Cyprus,  Moscow,  and  Ochrida  in  Roumely.  Were 
he  present,  he  would  have  hut  a  single  voice  in  the 
management  of  the  affairs  of  the  convent,  as  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  the  council.  While  residing  at  a  distance,  he 
has  no  authority  or  connection  with  it,  except  to  re¬ 
ceive  money  and  presents  from  its  revenues. — The  prior 
or  superior,  both  here  and  at  Cairo,  is  elected  in  like 
manner  by  the  council.  The  present  Superior  at 
Sinai,  Father  Neophytus,  was  originally  from  Cyprus, 
and  had  been  here  eighteen  years. 

The  monks  of  Sinai  lead  a  very  simple  and  also  a 
quiet,  life,  since  they  have  come  to  be  on  good  terms 
with  their  Arab  neighbours.  Five  centuries  ago  Ru¬ 
dolf  de  Suchem  describes  their  life  in  terms  which 
are  equally  applicable  to  them  at  the  present  day. 
u  They  follow  very  strict  rules;  live  chaste  and  mod¬ 
estly  ;  are  obedient  to  their  archbishop  and  prelates ; 
drink  not  wine  but  on  high  festivals ;  eat  never  flesh  ; 
but  live  on  herbs,  pease,  beans,  and  lentiles,  which 
they  prepare  with  water,  salt,  and  vinegar  ;  eat  togeth¬ 
er  in  a  refectory  without  a  table-cloth ;  perform  their 
offices  in  the  church  with  great  devotion  day  and  night; 
and  are  very  diligent  in  all  things ;  so  that  they  fall 
little  short  of  the  rules  of  St.  Antony.”1  To  this  day 

1)  Reissbucli,  Ed.  2,  p.  839. 

25 


Vol.  I. 


194 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


the  same  rules  continue ;  they  eat  no  flesh  and  drink 
no  wine ;  hut  their  rules  were  made  before  the  inven¬ 
tion  of  distilled  liquors,  and  therefore  do  not  exclude 
date-brandy.  Y et  they  all  seem  healthy  and  vigorous  ; 
and  those  who  remain  here,  retain  their  faculties  to  a 
great  age.  The  lay  brother  who  waited  on  us,  had 
seen  more  than  eighty  years ;  one  of  the  priests  was 
said  to  be  over  ninety ;  and  one  had  died  the  year  be¬ 
fore  at  the  age  of  one  hundred  and  six.  A  great  por¬ 
tion  of  their  time  is  nominally  occupied  in  religious 
exercises.  They  have  (or  should  have)  regularly  the 
ordinary  prayers  of  the  Greek  ritual  seven  times  in 
every  twenty-four  hours.  Every  morning  there  is  a 
mass  about  7  o’clock ;  and  on  Saturdays  two,  one  at 
3  A.M.  and  the  other  at  the  usual  hour.  During  Lent 
the  exercises  on  certain  days  are  much  increased ;  on 
the  Wednesday  which  we  spent  there,  the  monks  were 
at  prayers  all  the  morning  until  12  o’clock ;  and  again 
during  the  night  from  10  till  4  o’clock. 

The  pilgrims  have  of  late  years  greatly  fallen  off ; 
so  that  not  more  than  from  twenty  to  sixty  now  visit 
the  convent  annually.  These,  according  to  the  Supe¬ 
rior,  are  chiefly  Greeks,  Russians  and  English ;  a  few 
Armenians  and  Copts ;  and  only  now  and  then  a  Mus¬ 
sulman.  The  good  father  probably  regards  all  visit¬ 
ors  as  pilgrims.  Yet  so  late  as  the  last  century,  regu¬ 
lar  caravans  of  pilgrims  are  said  to  have  come  hither 
from  Cairo  and  from  Jerusalem;  and  a  document  pre¬ 
served  in  the  convent,  mentions  the  arrival  in  one  day 
of  eight  hundred  Armenians  from  Jerusalem,  and  at 
another  time,  of  five  hundred  Copts  from  Cairo.1 

Besides  the  branch  at  Cairo,  the  convent  has  many 
Metochia  or  farms,  in  Cyprus,  Crete,  and  elsewhere. 
The  Greek  parish  in  Tur  is  also  a  dependency ;  but 


1)  Burckhardt,  p.  552. 


Sec.  III.] 


CONVENT.  REVENUES. 


195 


not  that  of  Suez.  The  convent  has  one  priest  in  Ben¬ 
gal,  and  two  in  Golconda,  in  India.  The  gardens  and 
olive-groves  in  the  vicinity  all  belong  to  it ;  as  also 
extensive  groves  of  palm-trees  near  Tur ;  but  its  chief 
revenues  are  derived  from  the  distant  Metochia.  The 
gardens  and  orchards  in  the  peninsula  are  not  now 
robbed  by  the  Arabs ;  but  owing  to  the  great  drought 
of  the  two  preceding  years,  they  were  less  productive. 
In  a  few  weeks  the  convent  would  have  consumed  all 
the  productions  of  its  own  gardens,  and  expected  to 
become  dependent  on  Egypt  for  every  thing.  Their 
grains  and  legumes  they  always  get  from  Egypt.  Of 
these  they  were  now  consuming  at  the  rate  of  about 
one  thousand  Ardebs 1  a.  year,  or  nearly  double  the 
common  rate,  in  consequence  of  the  drought  and  scar¬ 
city,  which  rendered  the  Arabs  much  more  dependent 
than  usual  upon  the  convent  for  bread.  The  date- 
gardens  near  Tur  commonly  bring  them  in  about  three 
hundred  Ardebs  of  fruit ;  and  if  properly  managed, 
might  yield  five  hundred. 

The  inmates  of  the  convent  have  now  for  many 
years  lived  for  the  most  part  in  peace  and  amity  with 
the  Bedawin  around  them.  Occasional  interruptions 
of  the  harmony  indeed  occur;2  but  of  late,  and  espe¬ 
cially  since  the  time  of  scarcity  and  famine,  the  con¬ 
sideration  and  influence  of  the  monks  among  the  Arabs 
would  seem  to  be  greatly  on  the  increase.  This  is 
further  enhanced  by  the  awe  in  which  the  latter  stand 
of  the  Pasha  of  Egypt ;  and  the  certainty,  that  any 


1)  The  Ardeb  is  equivalent  very 
nearly  to  five  bushels  English. 
Lane’s  Mod.  Egypt.  II.  p.  371. 

2)  So  late  as  A.  D.  1828,  du¬ 
ring  Laborde’s  visit,  a  pilgrim  was 
wounded  in  the  thigh  by  a  ball 
aimed  at  a  monk  by  a  Bedawy 
from  the  rocks  above  the  convent. 


Voyage,  etc.  p.  67.  Engl.  p.  243. 
A  monk  who  accompanied  the  Pre¬ 
fect  of  the  Franciscans  to  the  top 
of  Sinai  in  1722,  was  seized  and 
beaten  by  the  Arabs.  The  older 
travellers  are  full  of  similar  ac¬ 
counts,  and  speak  of  the  Arabs 
only  as  monsters. 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


196 


[Sec.  III. 


injustice  practised  by  them  against  the  convent,  would 
in  the  end  recoil  upon  their  own  heads. 

Among  the  tribes  or  clans  of  the  Tawarah,  three 
are  by  long  custom  and  perhaps  compact,  Ghafirs  or 
protectors  of  the  convent ;  and  hold  themselves  res¬ 
ponsible  for  its  safety  and  that  of  every  thing  which 
belongs  to  it.  These  are  the  Dhuheiry,  ’Awarimeh, 
and  ’Aleikat.  In  return,  the  individuals  of  these 
clans  are  entitled  to  a  portion  of  bread  whenever  they 
visit  the  convent.  They  formerly  received  also  a 
cooked  dish  on  such  occasions;  besides  five  and  a  half 
dollars  each  in  money  annually,  and  a  dress  for  each 
male ;  but  all  these  are  no  longer  given.  When  in 
Cairo,  they  are  likewise  entitled  to  receive  from  the 
branch  convent  there,  two  small  loaves  every  morning 
and  a  cooked  dish  every  day  at  noon ;  and  formerly 
they  had  in  addition  four  loaves  every  evening,  which 
however  had  been  stopped  the  present  year.  Besides 
all  this,  they  have  the  exclusive  privilege  of  conveying 
travellers  and  pilgrims  to  and  from  the  convent. 

It  may  well  be  supposed  that  to  satisfy  all  these 
claims  in  addition  to  the  partial  support  of  their  own 
serfs,  must  draw  largely  upon  the  temporal  resources 
of  the  convent.  Yet  the  monks  find  it  advisable  to 
stop  these  many  Arab  mouths  with  bread,  rather  than 
expose  themselves  to  their  noisy  clamour,  and  per¬ 
haps  to  the  danger  of  sudden  reprisals.  The  bake¬ 
house  of  the  convent  is  of  course  upon  a  large  scale. 
At  the  time  of  our  visit,  they  complained  of  not  being 
able  to  obtain  camels  to  bring  their  supplies  of  grain 
from  Tur;  and  from  this  cause,  perhaps,  the  best 
bread  we  saw  was  coarse  and  mingled  with  barley. 
That  distributed  to  the  Arabs  is  always  of  a  very 
inferior  quality.  Their  date-brandy  was  said  to  be 
no  longer  distilled  in  the  convent,  as  was  formerly  the 
case. 


Sec.  III.] 


TRIBES  OF  THE  TAWARAH. 


197 


ARABS  OF  THE  PENINSULA. 

The  following  account  of  the  Bedawin  who  inhabit 
the  peninsula  of  Sinai,  was  derived  chiefly  from  them- 
selves  ;  and  if  it  be  less  complete  than  that  of  Burck- 
hardt,  it  may  yet  serve  to  fill  out  the  notices  given  by 
that  traveller.1 

The  tribes  reckoned  to  the  proper  Tawarah,  the 
Bedawin  of  Jebel  Tur  or  Sinai,  are  the  following : 

I.  The  Sawdlihah ,  the  largest  and  most  important 
of  all  the  divisions  of  these  Arabs,  and  comprising 
several  branches  which  themselves  constitute  tribes ; 
viz.  1.  The  Dhuheiry ;  of  whom  again  a  subdivision 
or  clan  are  the  Auldd  Sa’id  or  Sa?  idly  eh ,  to  whom  our 
guides  belonged.  The  Aulad  Sahd  occupy  the  best 
vallies  among  the  mountains,  are  respected,  and  seem 
to  have  most  connection  with  the  convent.  Their 
present  Sheikh*  Husein  has  been  mentioned  above. 
2.  The  1  Awdrimeh.  3.  The  Kurrashy ,  whose  head 
Sheikh  Salih  has  long  been  the  principal  Sheikh  of 
the  Tawarah  in  all  foreign  relations,  being  the  person 
to  whom  the  Pasha  addresses  his  orders  relative  to  the 
peninsula. — The  Sawalihah  for  the  most  part  occupy 
the  country  W.  and  N.  W.  of  the  convent.  The  pas¬ 
turing  places  of  the  tribe  are  in  general  common  to  all 
its  branches ;  but  the  vallies  where  date-trees  grow 
and  tillage  exists,  are  said  to  be  the  property  of  indi¬ 
viduals.  They  consider  themselves  as  the  oldest  and 
chief  inhabitants  of  the  peninsula.  All  the  branches 
regard  each  other  as  cousins,  and  intermarry.  Their 
tradition  is,  that  their  fathers  came  hither  from  the 
borders  of  Egypt  about  the  time  of  the  Muhammedan 
conquest.  The  Kurrashy,  however,  are  said  to  be 
descendants  of  a  few  families,  who  early  came  among 


1)  Travels,  etc.  p.  557,  seq. 


198 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


them  as  fugitives  from  the  Hejaz.  Hence  it  is,  per¬ 
haps,  that  the  two  first  branches  are  Ghafirs  of  the 
convent ;  and  the  Kurrashy  not. — Each  of  the  branches 
is  subdivided  into  smaller  clans.  Burckhardt  speaks 
also  of  the  Rahamy  as  a  branch ;  but  they  were  not 
named  to  us. 

II.  The  'Aleikat  are  also  an  old  tribe;  hut  much 
weaker  than  the  Sawalihah,  being  indeed  few  in  num¬ 
ber.  Intermarriages  occasionally  take  place  between 
them  and  the  latter  tribe ;  hut  they  are  not  in  general 
approved  of.  The  7 Aleikat  are  also  Ghafirs  of  the 
convent.  They  encamp  chiefly  around  the  western 
Wady  Nusb ;  and  extend  their  pasturage  as  far  as  to 
the  Wadys  Ghurundel  and  Wutali. 

III.  The  Muzeiny  came  into  the  peninsula  at  a 
later  period ;  and  are  still  regarded  as  intruders  by 
the  Sawalihah,  who  do  not  intermarry  with  them. 
Our  Arabs  of  the  Aulad  Sa’id  held  them  in  great  con¬ 
tempt.  The  story  of  their  introduction  to  the  penin¬ 
sula,  as  related  by  our  guides, ^was  as  follows  :  The 
whole  territory  of  the  Tawarah  originally  belonged  to 
the  Sawalihah  and  7 Aleikat,  and  was  equally  divided 
between  them ;  the  former  having  possession  of  the 
western  part  of  the  peninsula,  and  the  latter  of  the 
eastern.  During  a  famine,  a  war  arose  between  the 
two  tribes,  in  which  the  former  in  a  night-attack  near 
Tur,  killed  all  but  seven  men  of  the  ’Aleikat.  To 
celebrate  this  victory,  they  assembled  around  the 
tomb  of  Sheikh  Salih  in  Wady  esh-Sheikh,  and  sacri¬ 
ficed  a  camel.  Just  at  this  time,  seven  men  of  the 
Muzeiny  came  to  them  from  their  country  Harb  on 
the  road  to  the  Hejaz,  and  proposed  to  settle  with 
them  in  the  peninsula  on  equal  terms ;  saying  they  had 
fled  from  home  because  they  had  shed  blood,  and  feared 
the  avenger.  The  Sawalihah  replied,  that  if  they 
would  come  as  serfs,  they  were  welcome ;  if  not,  they 


Sec.  III.] 


TRIBES  OF  THE  TAWARAH, 


199 


might  depart.  They  chose  to  depart ;  and  on  their 
way  fell  in  with  the  remnant  of  the  ’Aleikat.  Form¬ 
ing  a  league  with  these,  they  together  fell  upon  the 
Sawalihah  at  night,  as  they  were  assembled  among 
the  Turfa-trees  to  feast  upon  the  camel ;  and  a  great 
slaughter  was  the  consequence.  The  war  continued 
for  many  years ;  hut  at  last  peace  was  made  between 
the  contending  parties  by  foreign  mediation.  The 
’Aleikat  now  gave  to  the  Muzeiny  half  of  their  portion 
of  the  peninsula  and  of  their  general  rights ;  and  ad¬ 
mitted  them  to  intermarriage.  Those  rights  the 
Muzeiny  still  enjoy ;  but  having  increased  very  much 
in  number,  while  the  ’Aleikat  have  remained  few  and 
feeble,  they  now  occupy  all  the  eastern  part  of  the 
peninsula  and  the  whole  T  a  war  ah  #  portion  of  the 
shore  of  the  Gulf  of  ’Akabah,  living  very  much  by 
fishing ;  while  the  ’Aleikat,  as  is  said  above,  have 
withdrawn  to  the  vicinity  of  the  western  W  ady  Nusb. 
The  Muzeiny  stand  in  no  connection  with  the  convent. 

IV.  Aulad  Suleiman ,  consisting  of  only  a  few  fam¬ 
ilies  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Tur. 

V.  Beni  Wasel ,  also  only  a  few  families  dwelling 
among  the  Muzeiny  in  and  around  Shurm. 

These  five  tribes  constitute  the  proper  Bedawin  of 
Mount  Sinai  or  Jebel  Tur,  whence  their  name  Tawa- 
rah  in  the  plural,  from  the  form  Tory  in  the  singular. 
They  stand  connected  under  one  head  Sheikh, — at 
present  Sheikh  Salih  of  the  Kurrashy,  as  said  above. 
They  form  a  single  body  when  attacked  by  other  Be¬ 
dawin  from  abroad;  but  have  occasionally  bloody 
quarrels  among  themselves. 

VI.  To  the  Arab  inhabitants  of  the  peninsula  must 
also  be  reckoned  the  Jcbeliyeh ,  or  serfs  of  the  convent. 
The  Tawarah  do  not  of  course  acknowledge  them  as 
Bedawin;  but  call  them  Fellahs  and  slaves.  Their 
very  existence  was  almost  unknown  out  of  the  penin- 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


200 


[Sec.  III. 


sula,  until  the  full  account  which  Burckhardt  for  the 
first  time  gave  of  them.1 

The  tradition  of  the  convent  respecting  these  vas¬ 
sals,  as  related  to  us  by  the  Superior,  is  as  follows : 
When  Justinian  built  the  convent,  he  sent  two  hun¬ 
dred  Wallachian  prisoners,  and  ordered  the  governor 
of  Egypt  to  send  two  hundred  Egyptians,  to  be  the 
vassals  of  the  monastery,  to  serve  and  protect  it.  In 
process  of  time,  as  the  Arabs  came  in  and  deprived 
the  convent  of  many  of  its  possessions,  the  descendants 
of  these  vassals  became  Muslims,  and  adopted  the 
Arab  manners.2  The  last  Christian  among  them,  a 
female,  the  Superior  said,  died  about  forty  years  ago 
in  the  convent  of  the  Forty  Martyrs.3  These  serfs  are 
under  the  entire  and  exclusive  control  of  the  convent, 
to  be  sold,  or  punished,  or  even  put  to  death,  as  it  may 
determine.  They  are  not  now  to  be  distinguished  in 
features  or  manners  from  the  other  Bedawin.  A  por¬ 
tion  of  them  still  encamp  among  the  mountains  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  convent ;  and  have  charge  of  its  gar¬ 
dens  in  the  neighbourhood.  Some  of  them  also  attend 
by  turns  in  the  convent  itself ;  where  they  perform 
menial  offices,  and  lodge  in  the  garden.  Most  of  those 
who  thus  live  around  the  convent,  are  in  a  great  mea¬ 
sure  dependent  upon  it  for  support.  When  they  work 
for  the  convent,  as  they  often  do  in  the  garden  and 


1)  Most  of  the  early  travellers 
appear  to  have  known  nothing  of 
these  Jebeliyeh.  Belon  merely 
mentions  the  c  slaves’  of  the  con¬ 
vent  ;  Observatt.  p.  286.  Paulus’ 
Sammlung,  etc.  I.  p.  224.  Van 
Egmond  and  Heyman,  (about 
A.  D.  1720,)  give  a  short  but  cor¬ 
rect  account  of  them  ;  Reizen,  II. 
p.  165.  This  was  copied  by  Biisch- 
ing,  Erdbeschr.  XI.  i.  p.  605. 
Ritter’s  construction  of  the  lan¬ 
guage  of  Rudolf  de  Suchem  has 
been  noted  above,  p.  191,  note  1. 


The  testimony  of  Eutychius  men¬ 
tioned  in  the  next  note,  has  been 
hitherto  entirely  overlooked. 

2)  The  substance  of  this  tradi¬ 
tion  is  corroborated  as  far  back  as 
the  ninth  century  by  the  testimony 
of  Eutychius,  Patriarch  of  Alex¬ 
andria;  Annales  II.  p.  167,  seq. 
The  passage  is  curious,  and  is 
translated  at  length  in  Note 
XVIII,  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 
Compare  p.  185,  above. 

3)  Or,  as  Burckhardt  was  told, 
in  A.  D.  1750.  P.  564. 


Sec.  III.] 


THE  JEBELIYEH. 


201 


elsewhere,  they  are  paid  at  a  certain  rate,  usually  in 
barley.  They  too  have  the  exclusive  privilege  of  con¬ 
ducting  visitors  to  the  summits  of  the  neighbouring 
mountains  ;  for  which  they  are  paid  in  the  same  man¬ 
ner.  But  this  right  does  not  extend  to  conducting 
strangers  on  their  journey  to  and  from  the  convent. 
Every  other  day,  those  who  apply,  receive  bread ;  each 
man  five  small  loaves  about  as  large  as  the  fist,  and  of 
the  coarsest  kind ;  each  woman  less ;  and  children  one 
or  two  loaves.  Of  course  none  can  regularly  apply, 
except  such  as  live  quite  near.  The  young  and  mid¬ 
dle-aged  men  looked  well  and  hardy ;  but  there  were 
old  men  and  sick  persons  and  children,  who  came 
around  the  convent,  the  very  pictures  of  famine  and 
despair.  These  miserable  objects,  nearly  naked,  or 
only  half-covered  with  tatters,  were  said  to  live  very 
much  upon  grass  and  herbs ;  and  even  this  food  now 
failing  from  the  drought,  they  were  reduced  to  mere 
skeletons. 

Other  portions  or  clans  of  these  vassals  are  distri¬ 
buted  among  the  gardens  which  the  convent  has  now, 
or  formerly  had  in  possession  in  different  parts  of  the 
peninsula.  Thus  the  Tebna  are  settled  in  the  date- 
gardens  of  F eiran ;  the  Bczia  in  the  convent’s  gardens 
at  Tur ;  and  the  Salt  la  in  other  parts. 

On  inquiring  of  the  Superior  as  to  the  number  of 
these  vassals,  he  said  he  could  not  tell ;  but  would 
srive  us  the  estimate  he  had  formed  about  seven  years 

o 

before,  when  he  had  an  opportunity  to  see  them  all 
together.  At  that  time  Sheikh  Salih  of  the  Kurrashy, 
the  head  Sheikh  of  the  Tawarah,  who  has  always 
shown  himself  unfriendly  to  the  convent,  laid  claim  to 
the  Jebeliyeh  as  his  serfs,  and  undertook  to  enforce 
obedience  to  his  demands.  They  were  all  greatly  af¬ 
frighted  ,  and  fled  to  a  rendezvous  in  the  mountains  of 
et-Ti'h,  a  distance  of  live  days’  journey.  The  Superior 

Vol.  1.  26 


202 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


went  thither  in  person  with  another  monk,  to  invite 
them  back ;  but  they  refused  to  come  without  security 
against  further  molestation.  He  then  went  and  laid 
the  matter  before  the  governor  of  Suez,  producing  the 
Firmans  of  the  convent  (of  which  they  have  many) 
containing  express  mention  of  the  Jebeliyeh  as  their 
serfs.  Sheikh  Salih  was  now  summoned,  hut  could 
bring  forward  no  authority  whatever  in  support  of  his 
claim.  The  result  was,  that  he  was  thrown  into  pri¬ 
son  and  fined;  and  the  Jebeliyeh  returned  to  their 
former  mode  of  life.  At  that  time,  the  Superior  said, 
he  judged  the  whole  number  collected  to  be  between 
fifteen  hundred  and  two  thousand  souls.  But  this  esti¬ 
mate  is  probably  by  far  too  large. 

Within  a  few  years,  the  Superior  had  baptized 
two  of  these  serfs,  who  had  embraced  Christianity  ; 
and  no  objection  had  been  made  by  any  one. 

The  Arabs  of  the  Tawarah  pretend  to  claim  the 
whole  territory  of  the  peninsula  as  far  North  as  to  the 
Haj-road  leading  from  Suez  to  ’Akabah ;  but  they  are 
in  actual  possession  only  of  the  part  lying  South  of 
the  chain  of  the  Tih.  The  tract  North  of  this  chain, 
including  the  northern  desert,  is  inhabited  by  the  Te- 
rctbin ,  the  Tiyahah ,  and  the  Haiwat ,  allied  tribes,  who 
together  are  stronger  than  the  Tawarah.  The  Tera- 
bin  have  been  already  mentioned  as  occupying  the 
mountains  er-Rahah  and  encamping  around  Taset 
Sudr;  and  connecting  towards  the  North  with  the 
tribe  of  the  same  name  near  Gaza.  A  small  branch 
of  them  also  occupy  the  eastern  coast  of  the  peninsula, 
along  the  Gulf  of  ’Akabah,  between  the  ridges  of 
et-Tih.  The  Haiwat  encamp  upon  the  eastern  part 
of  the  high  plateau  N.  of  et-Tih,  towards  ’Akabah. 
The  Tiyahah  roam  over  the  district  intervening  be¬ 
tween  the  Haiwat  and  western  Terabin,  and  extend 
their  wanderings  northward  towards  Gaza.  The  pas- 


Sec.  III.] 


POVERTY  OF  THE  TAWARAH. 


203 


tures  of  the  Wadys  along  the  northern  side  of  et-Tih 
are  said  to  he  good,  and  extend  quite  across  the  pe¬ 
ninsula.  Between  the  Tawarah  and  the  Terabin, 
Tuweileb  said,  there  is  an  oath  of  friendship,  to  endure 
“  as  long  as  there  is  water  in  the  sea,  and  no  hair 
grows  in  the  palm  of  the  hand.” 

In  former  times  and  down  to  the  last  century,  the 
convent  had  also  its  protectors  among  all  these  north¬ 
ern  tribes,  and  likewise  among  the  ’Alawin,  Haweitat 
and  other  tribes  towards  Gaza  and  Hebron.  In  those 
days  many,  if  not  most,  of  the  pilgrims  came  by  way 
of  Gaza ;  and  none  but  the  protectors  had  the  right 
of  conveying  them.  But  as  most  visitors  now  come 
only  from  Egypt,  this  right  has  become  restricted  to 
the  Tawarah;  the  connection  with  other  protectors 
has  been  dropped ;  and  visitors  arriving  from  any  other 
quarter  may  bring  with  them,  as  guides,  Arabs  of  any 
tribe.  But  they  may  depart  only  with  guides  from 
the  Tawarah. 

The  Tawarah  are  regarded  as  among  the  poorest 
of  all  the  Bedawin  tribes ;  nor  can  it  well  be  otherwise. 
Their  mountains  are  too  desolate  and  sterile  ever  to 
furnish  more  than  the  scanty  means  of  a  precarious 
existence.  Their  flocks  and  camels  are  comparatively 
few,  and  the  latter  feeble;  asses  are  not  common; 
horses  and  neat  cattle  are  entirely  unknown,  and 
could  not  subsist  in  their  territory.  Their  scanty  in¬ 
come  is  derived  from  their  flocks,  from  the  hire  of  their 
camels  to  transport  goods  and  coals  between  Cairo 
and  Suez,  and  from  the  sale  of  the  little  charcoal 
which  they  burn,  and  the  gum  arabic  which  they 
gather  and  bring  to  market,  together  with  their  dates 
and  other  fruits.  But  this  is  scarcely  sufficient  to  buy 
clothing  and  provisions  for  their  families;  since  all 
their  grain  must  be  purchased  in  Egypt,  not  a  particle 
being  raised  in  the  peninsula.  And  when,  as  now, 


204 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


the  rains  fail,  and  dearth  comes  upon  the  land,  and 
their  camels  die  off,  then  indeed  despair  and  famine 
stare  them  in  the  face. 

The  entire  population  of  the  peninsula,  as  far  North 
as  to  the  Haj -route,  is  estimated  by  Burckhardt  at  not 
over  four  thousand  souls.  The  calculation  made  out  by 
Ruppell  amounts  to  about  seven  thousand,  which  he 
regards  as  at  least  a  fourth  part  too  large.  I  am  not 
able  to  add  any  new  data  for  an  estimate  ;  but  should 
regard  that  of  Burckhardt  as  more  probably  correct.1 

I  have  remarked  above,  that  only  two  of  the  divi¬ 
sions  of  the  Sawalihah,  viz.  the  Dhuheiry  and  ;Awa- 
rimeh,  together  with  the  tribe  ’Aleikat,  stand  in  the 
relation  of  Ghafirs  or  protectors  to  the  convent ;  while 
the  other  division  of  the  former  tribe,  the  Kurrashy, 
as  also  the  tribe  Muzeiny,  do  not  enjoy  this  privilege. 
Yet  the  tradition  is,  that  long  ago  the  Kurrashy  shared 
in  this  right  by  sufferance,  although  not  fully  entitled 
to  it ;  or,  as  our  Arabs  said,  “  not  written  in  the  book 
of  the  convent.”  But  they  lost  the  privilege  in  the 
following  manner,  according  to  the  Arab  story.  One 
night  seven  of  their  leaders  entered  the  convent  secretly 
by  a  back  way ;  and  in  the  morning  presented  them¬ 
selves  armed  to  the  monks,  demanding  to  be  “  written 
in  the  book.”  The  monks,  affrighted,  said  :  “Very  well ; 
but  it  must  be  done  in  the  presence  of  witnesses  from 
among  the  other  protectors.”  Witnesses  were  sent 
for ;  and  on  their  arrival,  being  ordered  to  put  aside 
their  arms,  were  drawn  up  into  the  convent.  By  a 
private  understanding  with  the  monks,  however,  they 
had  arms  concealed  in  the  bags  they  brought  with 
them.  The  monks  were  secretly  armed  ;  and  upon  a 
given  signal,  all  fell  upon  the  Kurrashy  and  killed  six 
outright.  The  remaining  one  was  thrown  from  the 


I)  Burckhardt,  p.  500.  Riippell’s  Reisen  in  Nubien,  p.  198. 


Sec.  III.] 


BEDAWIN  FEUDS. 


205 


convent  walls,  and  killed.  Since  that  time  the  Kiir- 
rashy  have  had  no  claim  to  any  connection  with  the 
convent. 

Still,  it  is  obvious,  that  privileges  like  those  which 
the  protectors  enjoy,  must  ever  he  an  object  of  long¬ 
ing  and  jealousy  to  tribes  of  half  [savage  Bedawin, 
who  can  see  no  reason  why  they  should  be  excluded 
from  them.  Hence  the  Kurrashy  and  Muzeiny  are 
often  in  league  against  the  convent  and  its  protectors ; 
and  at  all  times  cherish  towards  them  an  unfriendly 
spirit.  An  instance  of  this  kind  occurred  no  longer 
ago  than  the  preceding  year,  in  reference  to  Lord 
Lindsay  and  his  party  on  their  departure  from  the 
convent.  His  Lordship  has  alluded  to  the  circum¬ 
stance  in  his  Letters ;  and  I  therefore  feel  at  liberty 
to  relate  the  story  as  we  heard  it  from  the  Arabs  on 
the  spot.  The  Kurrashy  and  Muzeiny,  wishing  to 
break  down  the  monopoly  of  the  protectors,  applied 
to  carry  the  party  from  the  convent  to  ’Akabah.  As 
soon  as  this  became  known,  the  three  tribes  of  the 
protectors  assembled  in  Wady  Seheb  (near  Wady  esh- 
Sheikh)  under  their  Sheikhs  Musa  and  Muteir;  while 
the  two  former  tribes  also  collected  in  Wady  el- 
Aklidar  under  their  Sheikhs  Salih  and  Khudeir.  The 
decision  of  the  travellers  was  waited  for  with  anxiety. 
If  they  concluded  to  take  those  who  were  not  protec¬ 
tors,  it  was  to  be  the  signal  for  the  protectors  to  fall 
upon  the  others  in  deadly  conflict.  But  they  decided 
for  the  protectors  ;  and  then  the  other  party  declared, 
that  they  would  appeal  to  the  Pasha.  Here,  however, 
the  convent  in  Cairo  interfered,  and  the  appeal  was 
never  made.  Subsequently  to  this  a  French  traveller 
took  one  of  the  Muzeiny  as  guide  to  ’Akabah,  against 
the  counsel  and  influence  of  the  convent ;  the  Arab 
having  gained  over  the  dragoman  of  the  traveller  by 
a  present.  But  by  the  advice  of  the  convent,  the  pro- 


206  MOUNT  SINAI.  [Sec.  III. 

tectors  took  no  further  revenge,  than  to  procure  for 
him  a  sound  drubbing  at  ’Akabah. 

There  seems,  however,  a  strong  probability,  that 
this  matter  will  not  be  definitely  settled  without  blood ; 
for  the  two  tribes  above  mentioned  are  continually 
renewing  their  attempts  to  share  in  the  privileges  of 
the  protectors.  We  ourselves  came  near  falling  at 
first  into  the  hands  of  the  Muzeiny  at  Cairo,  while  we 
were  yet  ignorant  of  the  whole  subject.  By  some 
oversight,  Khudeir  their  Sheikh  was  introduced  to  us 
at  the  British  Consulate,  to  furnish  us  with  camels  for 
our  journey  to  the  convent ;  but  he  failed  to  come  at 
the  time  appointed,  in  consequence  (as  we  understood) 
of  the  interference  of  the  branch  convent. 

In  such  quarrels  among  the  Bedawin,  the  Pasha  of 
Egypt  does  not  interfere,  unless  he  is  appealed  to. 
About  thirty  years  ago,  during  a  war  between  the  Ta- 
warah  and  the  Ma’azeh  inhabiting  the  mountains  West 
of  the  Red  Sea,  a  party  of  the  former  of  about  forty 
tents  were  encamped  in  Wady  Sudr.  The  Ma’azeh 
made  up  an  expedition  of  two  hundred  dromedaries, 
nine  horsemen,  and  a  company  of  fifty  Mughreby  horse¬ 
men,  to  plunder  this  encampment.  Passing  Suez  in 
the  night,  they  found  the  Tawarah  had  removed  to 
Wady  Wardan ;  and  fell  upon  them  as  the  day  dawn¬ 
ed.  Most  of  the  men  escaped ;  the  women,  as  is  the 
Bedawin  custom,  were  left  untouched ;  and  only  two 
men,  including  the  Sheikh,  were  killed.  The  Sheikh, 
an  old  man,  seeing  escape  impossible,  sat  down  by  the 
fire;  when  the  leader  of  the  Ma’azeh  came  up,  and  cried 
out  to  him  to  throw  down  his  turban  and  his  life  should 
be  spared.  The  spirited  Sheikh,  rather  than  do  what, 
according  to  Bedawin  notions,  would  have  stained  his 
reputation  ever  after,  exclaimed :  “  I  shall  not  uncover 
my  head  before  my  enemies and  was  immediately 
killed  by  the  thrust  of  a  lance.  Fifteen  dromedaries, 


Sec.  III.] 


BEDAWIN  FEUDS, 


207 


many  camels,  some  slaves,  and  much  clothing  and  fur¬ 
niture  were  carried  off ;  for  the  encampment  was  rich.1, 
The  Tawarah  waited  three  months ;  and  then  collected 
a  company  of  five  hundred  dromedaries  and  one  hundred 
footmen,  making  in  all  a  party  of  six  hundred  armed 
men.  Passing  Suez  secretly,  they  surprised  the  Ma’a- 
zeh  in  the  night,  killed  twenty-four  men  including  the 
Sheikh,  and  took  seventy  dromedaries,  one  hundred 
camels,  and  much  other  booty.  The  Sheikh  was  killed 
by  mistake ;  for  they  had  agreed  to  spare  him,  because 
he  was  a  good  and  generous  man,  and  had  not  been 
consenting  to  the  expedition  against  them.  Two  other 
expeditions  against  the  Ma’azeh  followed;  in  which 
more  than  twenty  men  were  killed,  and  a  great  booty 
taken.  The  Ma’azeh  then  sent  a  present  of  three  dro¬ 
medaries  to  Shedid,  Sheikh  of  the  Haweitat  residing 
in  Cairo,  begging  him  to  bring  about  a  peace  with  their 
enemies.  He  laid  the  case  before  Muhammed  Aly ; 
who,  sending  for  the  two  parties,  made  peace  between 
them,  which  has  continued  ever  since. 

The  Tawarah  regard  the  ’Ababideh  of  Upper  Egypt 
as  enemies;  and  used  formerly  to  cross  the  Gulf  in 
boats  and  steal  camels  from  them.  At  present  nothing; 
of  the  kind  is  done ;  but  the  enmity  continues.  A  short 
time  since,  one  of  the  Tiyahah  went  by  land  to  the 
country  of  the  ’Ababideh,  and  stole  fifteen  dromedaries ; 
but  the  Pasha  compelled  him  to  restore  them. 

The  Tawarah  never  go  to  law  before  the  Egyptian 
tribunals.  The  Sheikh  of  each  tribe  or  division  acts 
as  judge,  in  the  true  style  of  ancient  patriarchal  sim¬ 
plicity.  Minor  quarrels  are  generally  settled  hy  the 
parties  between  themselves.  But  when  not,  they  bring 
the  case  before  the  judge,  each  putting  into  his  hands 
a  pledge;  and  he  who  loses  the  cause,  forfeits  his 

1)  This  story  is  in  part  related  dent  of  the  Sheikh’s  death  is  deri- 
by  Burckhardt,  p.  471.  The  inch  ved  from  him. 


208 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


pledge  to  tlie  judge  as  his  fee ;  while  that  of  the  other 
party  is  restored.  When  the  judge  has  given  his 
decision,  the  party  who  gains,  executes  the  sentence 
for  himself.  Their  mode  of  trial  was  described,  both 
by  the  Arabs  and  by  the  Superior,  as  being  wonder¬ 
fully  just.  Bribery  and  partiality  are  unknown  among 
them. — If  two  persons  quarrel,  a  third  may  step  in 
and  make  them  kiss  each  other.  Thenceforward  they 
are  to  all  appearance  friends  as  before ;  although  the 
case  may  still  remain  to  be  tried  ;  and  perhaps  months 
may  elapse  before  it  is  brought  to  an  issue. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  peculiarities  of 
Bedawin  law ;  a  law  not  of  statute  but  of  prescription, 
and  as  binding  as  the  common  law  of  England.  If  a 
Bedawy  owes  another,  and  refuses  to  pay,  the  creditor 
takes  two  or  three  men  as  witnesses  of  the  refusal. 
He  then  seizes  or  steals,  if  he  can,  a  camel  or  some¬ 
thing  else  belonging  to  the  debtor,  and  deposits  it  with 
a  third  person.  This  brings  the  case  to  trial  before 
the  judge ;  and  the  debtor  forfeits  the  article  seized. 
— The  Bedawin  in  their  quarrels  avoid  beating  each 
other  with  a  stick  or  with  the  fist,  as  disreputable  ; 
this  being  the  punishment  of  slaves  and  children,  and 
a  great  indignity  to  a  man.  If  it  takes  place,  the 
sufferer  is  entitled  to  very  high  damages.  Their  code 
of  honour  allows  blows  to  be  given  only  with  the 
sword  or  with  a  gun  ;  and  by  these  the  sufferer  feels 
himself  far  less  aggrieved.  In  a  quarrel  of  this  kind, 
where  swords  have  been  used,  if  the  case  be  brought 
to  trial,  a  fine  is  imposed  upon  the  party  least  wounded, 
large  enough  to  counterbalance  the  excess  of  blows 
or  injury  received  by  the  other  party.  The  degree  of 
offence,  or  provocation,  or  claim,  is  of  no  account ;  it 
being  taken  for  granted  that  nothing  can  justify  a 
quarrel,  and  that  all  such  occurrences  must  be  tried 
on  their  own  simple  merits. 


Sec.  III.] 


BEDAWIN  LAW. 


209 


If  one  person  assaults  and  wounds  another,  who 
remains  passive,  friends  step  in  and  act  as  mediators. 
They  first  persuade  the  wounded  man  to  agree  to  a 
truce  of  a  month  or  more,  during  which  time  the  par¬ 
ties  leave  each  other  in  quiet.  At  the  expiration  of 
this  term,  the  mediators  on  examination  fix  upon  the 
sum  which  the  injured  man  ought  to  receive  as 
damages ;  for  example,  two  thousand  Piastres.  This 
he  agrees  to  accept,  on  condition  that  one  of  them 
becomes  surety  for  it.  But  now  one  friend  comes 
after  another,  and  entreats  him  to  remit  for  his  sake  a 
certain  portion  of  this  sum.  In  this  w7ay  the  fine  will 
he  reduced  perhaps  to  two  hundred  Piastres.  The 
parties  are  now  brought  together ;  and  the  injured 
man  gives  up  to  the  offender  perhaps  one  hundred 
more.  In  this  way  he  actually  receives  not  more  than 
one  hundred  Piastres ;  and  if  the  reconciliation  he 
sincere,  he  may  very  probably  give  up  even  that.  If 
both  parties  happen  to  he  wounded,  a  balance  of  inju¬ 
ries  is  struck.  The  instrument  of  offence  is  forfeited 
by  law  to  the  person  injured. 

If  in  such  quarrels,  or  in  any  other  way,  a  person  he 
killed,  it  is  the  right  and  duty  of  the  nearest  relative 
of  the  deceased,  to  slay  the  murderer  or  his  nearest 
relative,  wherever  he  may  be  found.  But  in  general, 
those  who  are  likely  to  suffer  in  this  way,  flee  the 
country  for  a  year  or  two ;  and  in  the  mean  time  per¬ 
sons  of  influence  interfere  to  appease  the  relatives  of 
the  deceased,  and  induce  them  to  accept  a  consider¬ 
able  sum  of  money  from  the  offender,  as  the  fine  of 
blood.  The  feud  is  then  usually  made  up,  and  the 
offender  is  free  to  return.  This  is  the  ancient  blood- 
revenge  of  the  Hebrews,  which  was  so  firmly  fixed  in 
all  their  habits  of  life,  that  even  the  inspired  law¬ 
giver  did  not  choose  to  abolish  it  directly;  but  only 
modified  and  controlled  its  influence  by  establishing 
Vol.  I.  27 


210  MOUNT  SINAI.  [Sec.  III. 

cities  of  refuge.  Nothing  of  this  kind  exists  among 
the  Arabs.1 

The  simplest  form  in  which  these  rules  appear, 
is  in  their  application  to  the  same  clan  or  tribe.  But 
the  same  principles  are  also  applied  to  quarrels  and 
murders  which  take  place  between  individuals  of 
different  tribes  ;  unless  the  tribe  of  the  aggressor  take 
his  part  and  adopt  the  quarrel  as  their  own.  In  that 
case  war  ensues. 

The  strict  honesty  of  the  Bedawin  among  them¬ 
selves  is  proverbial ;  however  little  regard  they  may 
have  to  the  right  of  property  in  others.  If  an  Arab’s 
camel  dies  on  the  road,  and  he  cannot  remove  the 
load,  he  only  draws  a  circle  in  the  sand  round  about, 
and  leaves  it.  In  this  way  it  will  remain  safe  and  un¬ 
touched  for  months.  In  passing  through  Wady  Sa’l 
on  our  way  to  ’Akabah,  we  saw  a  black  tent  hanging 
on  a  tree ;  Tuweileb  said  it  was  there  when  he  passed 
the  year  before,  and  would  never  be  stolen.  Theft, 
he  said,  was  held  in  abhorrence  among  the  Tawarah ; 
but  the  present  year  the  famine  was  so  great,  that 
individuals  were  sometimes  driven  to  steal  food.  He 
had  just  returned  from  Egypt  with  a  camel-load  of 
grain  for  his  family,  which  he  had  put  into  one  of  their 
magazines  as  a  place  of  safety ;  but  it  had  all  been 
stolen.  Burckhardt  relates,  that  he  was  shown  in 
Wady  Humr  a  point  upon  the  rocks,  from  which  one 
of  the  Tawarah,  a  few  years  before,  had  cast  down 
his  son  headlong,  bound  hand  and  foot,  for  an  offence 
of  the  very  same  kind.2 

The  following  trait  was  communicated  to  us  by  the 
Superior  of  the  convent.  If  a  Bedawy  discovers  his 
wife  or  his  daughter  in  illicit  intercourse,  he  turns 
away  and  conceals  the  fact  from  every  one,  not  even 

1)  The  chief  passages  respect-  Deut.  xix.  4,  seq.  Josh.  xx.  1,  seq. 
ing  the  Hebrew  blood-revenge  are:  Joseph.  Ant.  IV. 7.  4. 

Ex.xxi.  13.  Num.  xxxv.  9,  seq.  2)  Page  475. 


Sec.  III.] 


BEDAWIN  LAW. 


211 


letting  the  guilty  parties  know  that  he  has  seen  them. 
Months  afterwards  he  will  marry  off  his  daughter ; 
or  after  a  longer  time  perhaps  divorce  his  wife ;  living 
with  them  mean  time  as  if  nothing  had  happened, 
and  assigning  some  other  reason  for  the  measure 
he  adopts.  One  motive  for  this  concealment  is,  to 
avoid  personal  disgrace ;  and  another,  to  prevent  the 
impossibility  of  the  offender’s  ever  being  married. 

We  made  many  inquiries  in  the  peninsula  and 
among  the  tribes  which  we  fell  in  with  further  North, 
hut  could  never  hear  of  a  Bedawy  among  them  all, 
who  was  able  to  read.  Even  Sheikh  Salih,  the  head 
Sheikh  of  all  the  Tawarah,  has  not  this  power ;  and 
whenever  a  letter  is  addressed  to  him,  or  an  order 
from  the  government,  he  is  obliged  to  apply  to  the 
convent  to  have  it  read.  Among  the  Tawarah  this 
ignorance  seems  rather  to  he  the  result  of  habit 
and  want  of  opportunity  ;  hut  among  the  tribes  of  the 
northern  deserts,  we  found  it  was  accounted  disrepu¬ 
table  for  a  Bedawy  to  learn  to  read.  They  rejoice  in 
the  wild  liberty  of  their  deserts,  as  contrasted  with 
towns  and  cities ;  and  in  like  manner  take  pride  in 
their  freedom  from  the  arts  and  restraints  of  civilized 
life. 

The  Muhammedanism  of  all  these  sons  of  the 
desert,  sits  very  loosely  upon  them.  They  bear  the 
name  of  followers  of  the  false  prophet ;  and  the  few 
religious  ideas  which  they  possess,  are  moulded  after 
his  precepts.  Their  nominal  religion  is  a  matter  of 
habit,  of  inheritance,  of  national  prescription;  hut  they 
seemed  to  manifest  little  attachment  to  it  in  itself,  and 
live  in  the  habitual  neglect  of  most  of  its  external 
forms.  We  never  saw  any  among  them  repeat  the 
usual  Muhammedan  prayers,  in  which  other  Muslims 
are  commonly  so  punctual ;  and  were  told  indeed  that 
many  never  attempt  it ;  and  that  very  few  among  them 


212 


MOUNT  SINAI. 


[Sec.  III. 


even  know  the  proper  words  and  forms  of  prayer.  The 
men  generally  observe  the  fast  of  Ramadan,  though 
some  do  not ;  nor  do  the  females  keep  it.  Nor  is  the 
duty  of  pilgrimage  more  regarded ;  for  according  to 
Tuweileb,  not  more  than  two  or  three  of  all  the  Ta- 
Warah  had  ever  made  the  journey  to  Mecca. — The 
profaneness  of  the  Bedawin  is  excessive  and  almost 
incredible.  ‘  Their  mouth  is  full  of  cursing ;  ’  and  we 
were  hardly  able  to  obtain  from  them  a  single  answer 
that  did  not  contain  an  oath. 

We  asked  the  Superior  of  the  convent  whether  the 
Bedawin  would  feel  any  objection  to  professing  Chris¬ 
tianity?  His  reply  was  :  “  None  at  all ;  they  would 
do  it  to-morrow,  if  they  could  get  fed  by  it.”  It  is  this 
indifference  of  dark  and  unregulated  minds,  that  lies 
in  the  way  of  all  moral  and  intellectual  improArement 
among  them.  The  convent  might  exert  an  immense 
influence  over  them  for  good,  if  it  possessed  in  itself 
the  true  spirit  of  the  Gospel.  Were  a  missionary  to 
go  among  the  Tawarah  and  perhaps  other  tribes, 
speaking  their  language  and  acquainted  with  their 
habits,  he  would  doubtless  be  received  with  kindness ; 
and  were  he  to  live  as  they  live,  and  conform  to  their 
manners  and  customs  in  unimportant  things,  he  would 
soon  acquire  influence  and  authority  among  them.  In 
all  our  intercourse  with  them,  we  found  them  kind, 
good-natured,  and  accommodating ;  although,  as  might 
be  expected,  great  beggars.  But  no  very  permanent 
impression  can  well  be  hoped  for  upon  them,  so  long 
as  they  retain  their  wandering  and  half-samge  life ; 
and  this  mode  of  life  must  necessarily  continue,  sodong 
as  the  desert  is  their  home.  To  introduce  civilization 
among  them,  their  inveterate  predilection  for  the  de¬ 
sert  and  its  wild  fascinations  must  first  be  overcome ; 
and  they  then  be  transplanted  to  a  kindlier  soil,  where 
they  may  become  wonted  to  fixed  abodes,  and  to  the 


/ 


Sec.  III.]  RELIGION  OF  THE  BEDAWIN.  213 

occupations  of  a  more  regular  life.  But  it  may  be 
doubtful,  whether  such  a  course  is  possible  through 
any  mere  human  agency ;  at  least,  it  would  be  no  light 
matter,  thus  to  overturn  habits  and  a  mode  of  life, 
which  have  come  down  to  them  through  nearly  forty 
centuries  unchanged. 


/ 


SECTION  IV. 


FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  ’AKABAH. 

Thursday ,  March  29th ,  1838.  Afternoon.  About 
noon  our  luggage  and  then  ourselves  were  let  down 
from  the  high  window  of  the  convent ;  and  after  a  vast 
amount  of  scolding  and  clamour  among  the  Arabs 
about  the  division  of  the  loads,  we  mounted  at  1  o’clock 
and  bade  adieu  to  the  friendly  monastery.  Burck- 
hardt  has  remarked,  that  every  Arab  who  is  present 
at  the  departure  of  a  stranger  from  the  convent,  is  en¬ 
titled  to  a  fee ; 1  hut  we  did  not  find  this  to  be  the  case, 
although  our  intended  departure  was  known  through¬ 
out  the  mountains.  A  number  of  the  Jebeliyeh  indeed 
collected  around  us ;  hut  they  were  the  old  and  sick 
and  lame  and  blind,  who  came  as  beggars,  and  not  to 
claim  a  right.  We  escaped  their  importunity  by  leav¬ 
ing  Komeh  behind  us,  to  distribute  a  few  Piastres 
among  them  after  our  departure.  Just  at  setting  off, 
I  bought  a  stick  of  a  hoy  for  a  trifle,  to  serve  as  a  staff 
or  to  urge  on  my  camel.  It  was  a  straight  stick  with 
shining  bark,  very  hard  and  tough ;  and  I  learned  af¬ 
terwards,  that  our  Arabs  regarded  it  as  cut  from  the 
veritable  kind  of  tree  from  which  the  rod  of  Moses  had 
been  taken.  It  did  me  good  service  through  the  desert, 
and  in  all  our  subsequent  wanderings  in  Judea  and  to 
Wady  Musa ;  hut  did  not  stand  proof  at  last  against 
the  head  of  a  vicious  mule  on  our  way  to  Nazareth. 


1)  Page  491. 


Sec.  IV.] 


WADY  ESH-SHEIKH. 


215 


We  reached  the  entrance  of  Wady  esh-Sheikh  in 
twenty-five  minutes,  and  turned  into  it  between  the 
high  cliffs  of  el-Furei’a  on  the  left,  and  the  Mountain 
of  the  Cross  on  the  right,  leaving  Horeb  behind  us.  The 
valley  is  here  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  width ;  and  our 
course  in  it  was  E.  N.  E.  At  a  quarter  past  two  wre 
were  opposite  the  mouth  of  Wady  es-Seba’iyeh, 
which  here  comes  in  as  a  broad  valley  from  the  S., 
having  its  head  near  the  S.  E.  base  of  Jebel  Musa, 
and  thence  sweeping  around  to  the  E.  of  the 
Mountain  of  the  Cross.  A  little  before  reaching  this 
point,  a  small  Wady  called  Abu  Madhy  comes  down 
from  the  mountain  on  the  right ;  at  the  head  of  which 
is  water.  Wady  esh-Sheikh  now  bends  round  to  the 
N.  N.  E.  and  afterwards  to  the  N.  and  spreads  out  into 
a  broad  plain  tufted  with  herbs  and  shrubs  affording 
good  pasturage.  At  2\  o’clock  we  lost  sight  of  Horeb. 
Jebel  Musa  and  St.  Catharine  had  nowhere  been 
visible.  We  now  had  Jebel  Furei’a  on  our  left;  on 
the  top  of  which  there  is  table-land  wfith  water,  and 
pasturage  for  camels.  After  another  hour  w7e  passed 
the  mouth  of  the  small  Wady  el-Mukhlefeh,  which 
enters  from  the  right,  and  came  immediately  (at  3J 
o’clock)  to  the  tomb  of  Sheikh  Salih,  one  of  the  most 
sacred  spots  for  the  Arabs  in  all  the  peninsula.  It  is 
merely  a  small  rude  hut  of  stones ;  in  which  the  coffin 
of  the  Saint  is  surrounded  by  a  partition  of  w7ood  hung 
with  cloth,  around  which  are  suspended  handkerchiefs, 
camels’  halters,  and  other  offerings  of  the  Bedawin. 
The  history  of  this  Saint  is  uncertain  ;  but  our  Arabs 
held  him  to  be  the  progenitor  of  their  tribe,  the  Sawa- 
lihah ;  which  is  not  improbable.  Once  a  year,  in  the 
latter  part  of  June,  all  the  tribes  of  the  Tawarah  make 
a  pilgrimage  to  this  tomb,  and  encamp  around  it  for 
three  days.  This  is  their  greatest  festival.1  We  dis- 

1)  Burckhardt,  p.  489. 


216 


FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  ’AKABAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


mounted  and  entered  the  building ;  at  which  our  guides 
seemed  rather  gratified,  and  prided  themselves  on  the 
interest  we  took  in  their  traditions. 

We  here  left  Wady  esh-Sheikh,  which  now  bends 
more  to  the  northward,  and  at  an  hour  and  a  half  from 
this  place  issues  from  the  dark  cliffs  forming  the  out¬ 
works  of  the  central  granite  region,  at  the  point  near 
which  I  have  above  supposed  Rephidim  to  have  been 
situated.  Crossing  some  low  hills  running  out  from 
the  eastern  mountain,  we  came  in  half  an  hour  on  a 
course  N.  E.  by  N.  to  the  well  Abu  Suweirah,  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  small  Wady  es-Suweiriyeh  which 
comes  down  from  the  N.  E.  The  well  is  small,  but 
never  fails ;  and  near  by  are  two  small  enclosed  gar¬ 
dens.  Passing  on  a  little  further,  we  encamped  at 
4h  lCf  in  the  narrow  Wady. 

The  exchange  we  had  made  at  the  convent  both 
as  to  men  and  camels,  proved  on  the  whole  to  be  ad¬ 
vantageous  ;  except  perhaps  in  the  case  of  one  old  man, 
Heikal,  who  turned  out  to  be  the  very  personification 
of  selfishness.  His  two  camels  were  among  the  best ; 
and  he  always  contrived  that  they  should  have  the 
lightest  loads.  Tuweileb  was  a  man  of  more  ex¬ 
perience  and  authority  than  Besharah;  though  less 
active.  All  were  at  once  ready  to  lend  a  hand  at 
pitching  the  tent,  and  making  the  necessary  prepara¬ 
tions  for  the  evening  repast.  After  dinner  Tuweileb 
paid  us  a  visit  in  our  tent ;  and  this  practice  he  con¬ 
tinued  regularly  all  the  time  he  was  with  us.  He  was 
always  sure  of  a  cup  of  coffee  ;  and  in  these  visits 
was  more  open  and  communicative  than  anywhere 
else,  giving  us  freely  all  the  information  he  possessed 
on  the  points  to  which  we  directed  our  inquiries. 

The  road  we  had  now  entered  upon,  is  the  usual 
one  from  the  convent  to  ’Akabah,  and  the  same  fol¬ 
lowed  by  Burckhardt  in  A.  D.  1816,  in  his  unsuccess- 


Mar.  30.] 


OUR  ROUTE. 


217 


ful  attempt  to  reach  the  latter  place.  Times  have 
now  changed,  after  the  lapse  of  more  than  twenty 
years  ;  and  we  and  others  found  no  difficulty  in  doing 
what  that  enterprising  traveller  was  unable  to  accom¬ 
plish. 

Friday ,  March  30 th.  The  thermometer  at  sunrise 
stood  at  38°  F.  the  coldest  morning  I  had  experienced 
since  entering  Egypt  in  the  beginning  of  January;  and 
only  once  more,  a  few  days  later,  did  we  have  a  like 
degree  of  cold.  In  the  course  of  the  day,  however,  as 
we  passed  through  vallies  shut  in  by  rocks  and  deso¬ 
late  mountains,  we  found  the  heat  caused  by  the 
reflection  of  the  sun’s  rays  to  be  very  oppressive. 

Starting  at  five  minutes  before  6  o’clock,  and  pro¬ 
ceeding  up  the  little  valley  N.  E.  by  E.  we  came  in 
twenty-five  minutes  to  its  head ;  from  which  we  as¬ 
cended  for  twenty  minutes  further  by  a  rocky  pass  to 
the  top  of  a  ridge,  which  here  forms  the  water-summit 
between  the  waters  flowing  into  Wady  esh-Sheikh 
and  so  to  the  Gulf  of  Suez,  and  those  running  to  the 
Gulf  of  ’Akabah.  From  near  the  top  of  the  pass, 
Jebel  Katherinbore  S.  S.  W.JW.  We  now  turned  E. 
by  S.  for  half  an  hour  along  the  top  of  a  low  ridge 
between  two  small  Wadys ;  that  on  the  left  called 
’drfan,  which  runs  into  Wady  Sa’l;  and  that  on 
the  right  el-Mukhlefeh,  running  to  Wady  ez-Zugherah. 
These  two  large  Wadys,  S’al  and  Zugherah,1  pass 
down  at  the  opposite  ends  of  the  high  black  ridge  el- 
Fera’ ;  but  run  together  before  reaching  the  sea,  which 
they  enter  at  Dahab.  At  7h  10'  we  turned  E.  N.  E. 
and  crossing  a. tract  of  broken  ground,  descended  by 
a  branch  of  Wady  Orfan.  This  latter  unites  with 
several  others  and  takes  the  name  of  Wady  Sa’l  ten 
minutes  after;  although  it  is  still  not  the  main  Wady  af 

1)  Wady  ez-Zugherah  appears  Wady  Zackal ,  by  which  he  de- 
to  be  the  valley  called  by  Laborde  scended  to  the  eastern  Gulf. 

Vol.  I.  28 


218 


FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  ’AKABAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


that  name.  Our  general  course  was  now  E.  apparently 
towards  the  middle  of  the  long  dark  ridge  of  Fera’. 

From  this  point  Jehel  Habeshy  bore  S.  E.  lying 
to  the  S.  of  Wady  Zugherah,  between  that  valley  and 
Wady  Nusb  ;  which  also  unites  with  the  Zugherah 
further  down.  Nearly  behind  us  were  now  seen  the 
peaks  of  Um  Lauz,  Um  ’Alawy,  and  Ras  el-Ferush, 
seeming  like  outposts  of  Sinai  on  this  part.  Indeed, 
on  crossing  the  low  pass  soon  after  setting  off  this 
morning,  we  had  left  the  upper  granite  region  of  Sinai, 
which  on  this  side  is  comparatively  open  and  unguard¬ 
ed  ;  the  peaks  just  mentioned  lying  further  South.  The 
sides  of  Wady  Sad  which  we  were  now  descending, 
are  here  only  low  hills  of  disintegrated  granite,  similar 
to  the  low  belt  around  Sinai  in  the  N.  W.  The  val- 
lies  are  wide  and  shallow,  and  have  many  tufts  of 
herbs,  chiefly  ’Abeithiran.  At  8  o’clock  a  conspicu¬ 
ous  mountain  came  in  sight  on  the  left,  bearing  North, 
and  called  Ras  esh-Shukeirah  from  a  valley  of  that 
name.  It  is  a  spur  of  the  southern  ridge  of  the  Tih, 
running  off  S.  E.  from  it.  The  road  from  the  convent 
to  ’Ain  passes  near  this  mountain,  leaving  it  on  the 
right ;  while  in  crossing  the  southern  Tih,  it  leaves 
the  part  called  edh-Dhulul  to  the  left;  and  then 
strikes  the  head  of  Wady  ez-Zulakah  (called  also  ez- 
Ziiranik),  which  it  follows  down  to  ’Ain.1 

Half  an  hour  afterwards  this  open  country  termi¬ 
nated  ;  we  reached  the  dark  harrier  of  el-Fera’  which 
hounds  it  on  the  E.  and  seems  to  cut  off  all  further 
progress.  But  the  Wady  we  were  following,  here  en¬ 
ters  the  mountain  by  a  narrow  cleft,  and  continues  for 
six  hours  to  wind  its  way  among  dark  and  naked 

1)  This  is  the  Wady  Salaka  of  Tuweileb  nor  any  of  our  Arabs 
Ruppell.  Both  he  and  Laborde  knew  this  name ;  although  the 
also  speak  of  it,  or  of  a  part  of  it,  former  was  the  guide  of  both  these 
as  Wady  Saffran ;  but  neither  travellers. 


Mar.  30.] 


WADY  SA’L. 


219 


ridges  and  peaks  through  scenes  of  the  sternest  deso¬ 
lation.  The  ridge  F era’  extends  on  the  right  from  this 
point  to  Wady  Zugherah ;  on  the  left  it  takes  the 
name  of  el-Muneiderah.  The  valley,  still  a  branch  of 
Wady  Sad,  is  narrow  and  winds  exceedingly;  yet  the 
general  course  is  nearest  East.  The  high  and  desolate 
mountains  which  thus  shut  it  in,  are  chiefly  of  grim- 
stein,  with  some  slate  and  veins  of  porphyry;  the 
higher  peaks  as  we  advanced  being  sometimes 
slightly  crested  with  sandstone.  Shrubs  and  herbs 
indeed  are  scattered  in  the  bottom  of  the  valley ;  but 
the  mountains  are  destitute  of  vegetable  life,  and  the 
blackness  of  the  rocks  renders  the  valley  gloomy. 

After  half  an  hour  more  (at  9  o’clock)  the  main 
branch  of  Wady  Sa’l  comes  in  from  the  W.  N.  W. 
through  which  passes  up  a  route  from  en-Nuweibi’a 
to  Suez,  crossing  the  great  sandy  plain  er-Ramleh, 
and  reaching  the  head  of  the  western  Wady  Nusb  in 
two  days  from  this  point.  It  strikes  this  latter  Wady 
at  the  tomb  of  Sheikh  Habus,  which  lay  on  our  left  in 
going  to  Surabit  el-Khadim.  The  first  day’s  journey 
crosses  Wady  Akhdar  and  stops  at  a  station  without 
water,  called  el-Humeit. — At  10h  10'  another  tributary 
came  in  from  the  N.  W.  called  es-Sa’l  er-Reiyany, 
“  the  wet,”  in  which  there  is  water  some  distance 
above.  The  Seyal  or  Tiilh-trees  began  now  to  appear, 
and  continued  till  we  left  the  valley.  Many  of  them 
are  of  considerable  size,  with  thin  foliage  and  a  multi¬ 
tude  of  thorns.  From  them  gum  arabic  is  sometimes 
gathered.  According  to  Tuweileb,  all  these  trees,  as 
also  the  Turfa,  are  public  property ;  and  whoever  will, 
may  gather  both  gum  and  manna. 

We  had  now  entered  the  territory  of  the  Arabs 
Muzeiny.  At  lh  50'  the  valley  opened  out  to  a  wide 
plain;  the  mountains  on  the  left  disappeared;  and 
we  could  look  out  over  the  great  sandy  plain  already 


220  FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  *  ARAB  AH.  [Sec.  IV. 

described,  quite  to  the  southern  ridge  of  the  Tih.  It 
bore  here  the  same  character  as  where  we  saw  it  at 
the  head  of  Wady  Nusb,  an  even,  unbroken,  precipi¬ 
tous  chain,  showing  horizontal  layers  of  rock,  and 
perfectly  barren.  Wady  Zulakah  and  all  the  waters 
which  connect  with  ’Ain,  lie  N.  of  this  ridge,  between 
it  and  the  northern  Tih.  From  this  point  our  course 
was  N.  E.  At  ten  minutes  past  2  o’clock  Wady  esh- 
Shukeirah  came  in  from  the  West,  having  its  head  in 
the  fork  between  Has  esh-Shukeirah  above  mentioned 
and  the  southern  Tih.  Soon  afterwards  we  saw  a 
black  tent  hanging  on  a  tree,  which  Tuweileb  said  was 
there  when  he  passed  this  way  last  year,  and  would 
never  be  taken  away  except  by  the  rightful  owner.1 
The  plain  of  Wady  Sa’l  here  connects  on  the  N.  with 
the  great  sandy  plain  reaching  to  et-Tih ;  while  the 
Wady  itself  sweeps  off  to  the  S.  E.  and  again  entering 
the  mountains  goes  to  join  Wady  Zugherah  in  the 
direction  of  Dahab.  We  left  the  plain  of  the  Sa’l  at 
2h  40',  ascending  a  low  ridge  called  ’ojrat  el-Fiiras, 
the  top  of  which  we  reached  at  3  o’clock ;  and  again 
descending  we  encamped  half  an  hour  later  in  a 
small  valley  tributary  to  Wady  Murrah,  in  the  midst 
of  an  open,  undulating,  desert  region,  with  hills  of 
griinstein  on  the  right,  capped  with  sandstone.  Our 
day’s  journey  had  not  been  a  long  one  ;  but  the  heat 
had  been  very  oppressive,  pent  up  as  we  were  so  long 
within  the  naked  walls  of  Wady  Sa’l,  and  exposed  to 
both  the  direct  and  reflected  rays  of  an  unclouded  sun. 

This  evening  Tuweileb  gave  us  some  account  of 
himself,  and  of  the  kindness  he  had  experienced  from 
M.  Linant.  He  was  now  about  sixty  years  old  and 
obviously  in  the  wane  of  his  strength.  His  wife  had 
died  not  long  before,  leaving  him  two  children,  a  boy 


1)  See  above,  p,  210, 


Mar.  31.] 


WADY  HURRAH. 


221 


of  some  twelve  years  of  age,  and  a  girl  about  eight. 
These  children  were  now  in  our  train.  On  inquiring 
of  their  father,  how  he  came  to  take  them  on  such  a 
journey,  he  said  they  were  alone  at  home,  and  he  had 
intended  to  leave  them  so ;  hut  on  his  coming  away, 
they  cried  to  go  with  him,  and  he  said,  “  No  matter, 
get  upon  the  camels  and  come  along.”  He  had  thus 
brought  with  him  two  spare  camels,  which  were  not 
in  our  employ,  and  were  said  to  have  been  broken 
down.  The  children  were  bright  and  active.  The 
boy  usually  watched  the  camels  when  they  were  turn¬ 
ed  loose  to  feed.  The  little  girl  had  fine  eyes  and  a 
pleasing  face.  She  usually  wore  only  a  long  flowing 
shirt,  but  had  a  blanket  for  the  night  and  for  cooler 
days ;  and  commonly  rode  all  day  bare-headed  under 
a  burning  sun.  She  at  first  stood  in  great  fear  of  the 
strangers ;  nor  did  her  shyness  towards  us  ever  fully 
wear  off. 

During  the  preceding  year,  Tuweileb  had  spent  a 
fortnight  in  and  near  the  great  plain  el-Ka’a,  not  far 
from  Mount  Serbal,  pasturing  his  camels,  without  a 
drop  of  water  for  himself  or  them.  He  drank  the  milk 
of  the  camels ;  and  they,  as  well  as  sheep  and  goats, 
when  they  have  fresh  pasture,  need  no  water.  In  such 
case  they  will  sometimes  go  for  three  or  four  months 
without  it.  Others  had  told  us,  that  the  camel  needs 
water  once  in  every  three  days  in  summer,  and  every 
five  days  in  winter;  but  this  is  probably  when  the 
pastures  are  dry,  or  when  they  are  fed  on  provender. 

Saturday ,  March  31s£.  We  set  off  at  5h  50',  and 
continuing  down  the  little  Wady  towards  the  N.  E. 
for  twenty-five  minutes,  reached  the  main  branch  of 
Wady  Murrah.  This  comes  from  the  N.  W.  where  it 
rises  near  et-Tih,  and  passes  off  in  a  S.  E.  direction  to 
join  Wady  Sad.  We  crossed  it  on  a  very  oblique  course, 
going  E.  N.  E,  till  6h  55' ;  when  we  left  the  Wady 


222  FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  ’ARAB AH.  [Sec.  IV. 

and  passed  over  hills  of  drift  sand,  which  our  guide 
called  el-Burka’.  Among  these  it  required  all  Tuwei- 
leb’s  sagacity  and  experience  to  keep  the  proper  road; 
and  here  apparently  Burckhardt’s  guide  missed  the 
way  and  kept  on  further  down  Wady  Murrah.1  Our 
course  was  now  N.  E.  over  a  sandy  region  full  of  low 
ridges  and  hills  of  sandstone  of  various  colours.  At 
7h  50'  we  came  out  upon  an  open  sandy  plain  extend¬ 
ing  to  the  foot  of  the  Till,  here  an  hour  or  more  distant, 
and  still  retaining  its  character  of  a  regular  wall, 
composed  of  strata  of  sandstone,  with  layers  appa¬ 
rently  of  limestone  or  clay  towards  the  top.  At  8 
o’clock  we  began  to  cross  the  heads  of  several  small 
Wadys  called  Ridhan  esh-Shiika’a.  At  8h  15'  our 
course  was  again  E.  N.  E.,  and  half  an  hour  later 
Mount  St.  Catharine  was  visible,  hearing  S.  W.  by  W. 
In  another  half  hour  a  high  mountain  was  seen  across 
the  eastern  Gulf,  called  Jebel  Tauran,  hearing  E.  by 
S.  At  half  past  9  o’clock  we  descended  a  little  into 
another  Wady  or  shallow  water-course  called  el-Ajei- 
beh,  coming  from  the  foot  of  et-Tih,  and  flowing  off 
to  Wady  Murrah.  We  crossed  it  very  obliquely  E. 
by  N.  and  emerged  from  it  after  twenty-five  minutes, 
keeping  on  the  same  course.  None  of  all  these  Wa¬ 
dys  bore  any  marks  of  water  during  the  present  year. 

Opposite  this  point  the  chain  of  et-Tih  bends  more 
N.  E.  and  sinks  down  into  lower  hills.  At  three  quar¬ 
ters  past  ten,  our  guides  pointed  out  the  place  of  the 
fountain  ’Ain  el-Hudhera  through  a  pass  N.N.E.  with 
several  low  palm-trees  around  it ;  and  soon  after,  we 
came  upon  another  series  of  connected  Wadys,  called 
Mawarid  el-Hiidhera,  or  “  paths”  to  this  fountain.  Our 
course  led  us  to  the  right  of  el-Hudhera;  but  at  llh 
I Cf  we  stopped  in  a  valley  at  the  point  where  our  road 


1)  Travels,  page  493. 


Mag.  31.] 


5 AIN  EL-HUDHERA. 


223 


came  nearest  to  it ;  and  all  the  camels  were  sent  up 
the  valley  to  he  watered  at  the  fountain,  which  was 
said  to  he  more  than  half  an  hour  distant  towards  et- 
Tih.  Meantime  we  lay  down  upon  the  sand  and  slept. 
After  a  while,  some  of  the  men  came  back  with  five 
of  the  camels ;  saying  the  path  was  so  rugged  and  dif¬ 
ficult  that  their  camels  could  not  reach  the  spring. 
The  others  however  succeeded ;  and  after  a  delay  of 
nearly  three  hours,  returned,  bringing  a  supply  of 
tolerably  good  water,  though  slightly  brackish.  It  is 
the  only  perennial  water  in  these  parts.  These  Arabs, 
being  out  of  Tuweileb’s  sight,  had  probably  turned 
their  camels  loose  at  the  fountain  to  feed ;  and  had 
themselves  followed  our  example,  and  refreshed  them¬ 
selves  with  a  nap.  From  this  point  a  high  mountain, 
said  to  lie  in  the  fork  of  Wady  Zugherah  and  Wady 
Nusb,  bore  S.  S.  W.JS. 

Burckhardt  has  already  suggested,  that  this  foun¬ 
tain  el-Hudhera  is  perhaps  the  Hazeroth  of  Scripture, 
the  third  station  of  the  Israelites  after  leaving  Sinai,  and 
either  four  or  five  days’  march  from  that  mountain.1 
The  identity  of  the  Arabic  and  Hebrew  names  is  ap¬ 
parent,  each  containing  the  corresponding  radical  let¬ 
ters  ;  and  the  distance  of  eighteen  hours  from  Sinai 
accords  well  enough  with  the  hypothesis.  The  deter¬ 
mination  of  this  point  is  perhaps  of  more  importance 
in  Biblical  history,  than  would  at  first  appear ;  for  if 
this  position  be  adopted  for  Hazeroth,  it  settles  at  once 
the  question  as  to  the  whole  route  of  the  Israelites  be¬ 
tween  Sinai  and  Kadesh.  It  shows  that  they  must 
have  followed  the  route  upon  which  we  now  were,  to 
the  sea  and  so  along  the  coast  to  ’ Akabah ;  and  thence 
probably  through  the  great  Wady  el-’Arabah  to  Ka¬ 
desh.  Indeed,  such  is  the  nature  of  the  country,  that 


1)  Num.  xi.  35.  xxxiii.  17.  Comp.  x.  33. — Burckhardt,  p.  495. 


224  FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  ’ARAB AH.  [Sec.  IV. 

having  once  arrived  at  this  fountain,  they  could  not 
well  have  varied  their  course,  so  as  to  have  kept  aloof 
from  the  sea  and  continued  along  the  high  plateau  of 
the  western  desert. 

We  were  again  upon  our  way  at  2\  o’clock,  ap¬ 
proaching  now  the  southern  chain  of  the  Tih.  Our 
general  course  was  E.  N.  E.  At  2h  40'  there  was  a 
narrow  pass  and  a  slight  descent  among  hills  of  sand¬ 
stone.  Here  on  the  rocks  at  the  left  were  several 
Arabic  inscriptions  with  crosses,  marking  them  as  the 
work  of  pilgrims ;  and  lower  down  along  the  descent 
were  many  rude  drawings  of  animals.  The  route  now 
winds  much  among  sandstone  hills  and  ridges,  itself 
very  sandy ;  and  at  3  o’clock  we  came  out  into  a  large 
open  tract  or  plain  called  el-Ghor,  extending  far  to 
the  S.  E.  and  connecting  apparently  with  the  great 
sandy  plain  which  skirts  the  Tih  further  to  the  West. 
We  had  now  reached  the  line  of  the  southern  chain  of 
the  Tih ;  which  here  sinks  down  into  precipitous 
isolated  hills  and  masses  of  sandstone  rock,  rent  to 
the  bottom  by  narrow  sandy  vallies  or  clefts,  through 
which  the  route  passes,  neither  ascending  nor  descend¬ 
ing  except  slightly.  We  may  call  these  hills  the  frag¬ 
ments  of  the  Tih.  Entering  among  these  cliffs,  we 
came  without  perceptible  ascent  at  3J  o’clock  to  the 
point  which  divides  the  waters  of  Wady  Murrah  and 
Sa’l  from  those  which  run  northwards  to  Wady  Wetir. 
Here  we  struck  the  head  of  Wady  Ghuzaleh,  which 
we  followed  down  N.  E.  having  perpendicular  walls 
of  sandstone  on  each  side,  and  so  narrow  that  in  some 
places  it  might  be  closed  by  a  gate.  At  the  end  of 
another  fifteen  minutes  we  emerged  from  these  hills 
or  fragments  of  the  Tih,  into  an  open  sandy  plain, 
with  hills  upon  the  left,  and  on  the  right  at  some  dis¬ 
tance  Jebel  es-Sumghy,  a  long  ridge  running  from  N. 
W.  to  S.  E.  and  forming  a  sort  of  continuation  of  this 


Mar.  31.] 


WADY  RUWEIHIBIYEH. 


225 


part  of  the  Tih  towards  the  eastern  coast.  In  this 
mountain  on  the  other  side  rises  the  Wady  of  the  same 
name.  At  3h  50'  the  middle  of  the  ridge  bore  E.  At 
4  o’clock  we  left  the  bed  of  Wady  Ghuzaleh  running 
off  N.  to  join  Wady  Wetir ;  and  crossing  a  sandy  tract 
for  fifteen  minutes  we  struck  Wady  er-Ruweihibiyeh1 
coming  down  from  the  N.  E.  and  flowing  by  a  short 
turn  into  Wady  Ghuzaleh.  We  ascended  this  valley 
till  half  past  4  o’clock  and  then  encamped  in  it  for  the 
night  and  for  the  next  day.  It  is  one  of  the  prettiest 
Wadys  we  had  found;  the  sand  ceased  as  we  entered 
it  and  the  bottom  is  of  fine  gravel.  The  valley  is 
broad ;  the  sides  are  rugged  naked  cliffs,  where  sand¬ 
stone,  griinstein,  and  granite,  all  appear  alternately. 
It  is  everywhere  dotted  with  herbs ;  and  many  Seyal- 
trees  scattered  in  it  give  it  almost  the  appearance  of 
an  orchard. 

The  country  we  had  passed  through  this  day  is  a 
frightful  desert.  In  some  of  the  Wadys  there  were 
herbs  and  shrubs;  in  others  none;  while  the  sandy 
plains  and  ragged  sandstone  hills  were  without  a  trace 
of  vegetation.  As  we  emerged  from  the  narrow  part 
of  Wady  Ghuzaleh,  the  aspect  of  the  country  changed; 
and  it  was  evident  that  we  had  passed  the  southern 
range  of  the  Tih.  We  were  now  among  another  net 
of  Wadys,  which  drain  the  mountainous  region  between 
the  two  parallel  ridges  of  that  mountain.  The  most 
central  and  frequented  spot  in  this  region  is  the  foun¬ 
tain  and  Wady  called  el-’ Ain,  lying  several  hours  dis¬ 
tance  to  the  N.  W.  of  our  present  encampment ;  where 
there  is  living  water  and  a  brook  and  luxuriant  vege¬ 
tation,  resembling  apparently  Wady  Feiran,  though 
without  cultivation.2  The  water  is  said  not  to  be  so 

1)  Wady  Raliab  of  Burckliardt,  2)  RiippelPs  Reisen  in  Nubien, 
p.  496.  p.  255,  seq. 

Vol.  I.  29 


226  FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  ’AKABAH.  [Sec.  IV. 

good  as  that  of  el-Hudhera.  From  that  point  the 
great  Wady  Wetir  runs  down  eastward  by  a  winding 
course  to  the  Gulf,  forming  the  great  drain  into  which 
all  the  Wadys  of  the  region  from  the  N.  and  S.  empty 
themselves.  A  road  already  mentioned  leads  from 
the  convent  to  el-’ Ain,  crossing  the  southern  Tih  at  a 
point  considerably  further  West  than  our  route,  and 
then  following  down  Wady  Ziilakah.  From  ’Ain  a 
route  goes  off  northwards  to  Gaza  and  Hebron,  cross¬ 
ing  the  northern  ridge  of  the  Tih ;  and  another  keeps 
down  Wady  Wetir  to  the  Gulf,  and  so  along  the  coast 
to  ’Akabah. 

Sunday ,  April  ls£.  We  remained  all  day  en¬ 
camped.  In  the  afternoon  I  wandered  away  into  a 
lone  side-valley  and  wrote  a  letter.  Scarcely  ever 
have  I  had  such  a  sense  of  perfect  solitude.  No  hu¬ 
man  eye  was  there ;  and  no  sound  save  that  of  the 
wind  among  the  rocks.  Just  as  I  was  about  to  re¬ 
turn,  a  wild-looking  Arab  with  his  gun  stood  suddenly 
before  me.  I  might  have  been  startled,  had  I  not  re¬ 
cognised  him  at  once  as  one  of  our  own  men, — a  good- 
natured  fellow  who  had  come  to  look  for  me  on  ac¬ 
count  of  my  long  absence. 

Monday ,  April  2d.  We  started  at  5J  o’clock. 
The  morning  was  bright  and  beautiful ;  the  sky  se¬ 
rene  ;  and  the  air  of  the  desert  fresh  and  invigorating. 
We  proceeded  up  the  valley  N.  E.  by  E.  A  little 
bird  sat  chirping  on  the  topmost  twig  of  one  of  the 
Seyal-trees  ;  and  reminded  me  strongly  of  the  notes 
of  the  American  robin  on  my  own  green  native  hills. 
What  a  contrast  to  this  desert !  in  which  we  had  only 
once  seen  a  blade  of  grass  since  we  left  the  region  of 
the  Nile.  In  twenty  minutes  we  came  out  on  an 
open  plain  at  the  head  of  Wady  er-Ruweihibiyeh. 
This  plain  consists  of  sandstone  only  partially  covered 
with  earth  ;  the  surface  declines  slightly  towards  the 


Apr.  2.] 


WADY  ES-SUMGHY. 


227 


N.  E.  and  its  waters  flow  off  in  that  direction  to 
Wady  es-Sumghy.  At  6h  25'  we  struck  a  small 
Wady  descending  N.  E.  along  the  northwestern  ex¬ 
tremity  or  base  of  Jebel  Sumghy.  The  rocks  here 
still  exhibited  alternate  specimens  of  sandstone,  grfim- 
stein,  and  granite.  Twenty-five  minutes  further,  the 
Wady  entered  very  obliquely  among  the  cliffs,  which  on 
this  side  form  the  commencement  of  the  mountainous 
tract  extending  without  much  change  of  character  to 
the  coast.  The  cliffs  were  dark  ;  and  as  we  advanced, 
seemed  to  be  chiefly  of  gray  granite,  with  an  occa¬ 
sional  intermixture  of  porphyry  and  griinstein.  No¬ 
thing  could  be  of  a  more  barren  and  uninviting  aspect. 
At  a  quarter  past  7  o’clock  we  left  the  Wady  run¬ 
ning  on  in  the  same  direction  to  join  Wady  es-Sumghy 
further  down,  and  turned  at  right  angles  into  a  branch 
Wady  coming  from  the  S.  E.  Here  we  ascended 
gradually  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  crossing  the 
low  water-shed  descended  towards  Wady  Sumghy, 
which  we  reached  at  8  o’clock.  This  is  a  wide  val¬ 
ley  coming  from  the  S.  W.  It  is  joined  at  this  point 
from  the  S.  by  another  broad  Wady  or  plain  called  el- 
Mukrih ;  and  the  united  valley  flows  off  N.  N.  E.  It 
is  quite  wide,  and  has  many  Seyal-trees,  from  which 
gum  arabic  is  collected  in  summer.  All  the  trees  of 
this  species  which  we  had  seen  since  leaving  the  con¬ 
vent,  were  larger  than  those  on  the  western  side  of 
the  peninsula,  and  might  compare  with  apple-trees  of 
a  moderate  size. 

Our  course  now  lay  down  Wady  Sumghy  N.  N.  E. 
The  cliffs  on  each  side  are  high  and  irregular,  and 
occasionally  capped  with  sandstone.  After  half  an 
hour  we  had  a  distant  view  of  the  northern  ridge 
of  the  Tih,  in  which  a  high  point  bore  N.  15°  E.  The 
shrubs  in  this  valley  were  greener  than  we  had  seen 
before;  indicating  that  more  rain  had  fallen  in  this 


228 


FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  7  ARAB  AH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


quarter  than  elsewhere.  At  9h  40'  we  left  the  Sum- 
ghy,  and  turned  short  towards  the  right  into  a  side- 
valley,  which  after  an  ascent  of  forty  minutes  brought 
us  at  10h  20'  by  a  narrow  pass  to  the  top  of  a  sharp 
ridge.  Here  is  the  head  of  Wady  es-Sa’deh,  which 
runs  under  the  same  name  quite  down  to  the  sea.1 
We  now  followed  down  this  valley  on  a  general  course 
E.  N.  E.  between  abrupt  cliffs,  alternately  of  granite 
and  grimstein,  from  three  hundred  to  five  hundred  feet 
in  height,  sometimes  tipped  with  sandstone.  The 
cliffs  grew  higher  as  we  advanced,  and  contracted  the 
valley  more  and  more,  often  presenting  at  the  fre¬ 
quent  turns  grand  and  imposing  bulwarks.  For  a 
moment  at  IP  10'  we  had  a  distant  glimpse  of  the  sea 
for  the  first  time  ;  but  it  speedily  vanished.  Fifteen 
minutes  further  a  large  tributary  came  in  from  the 
right ;  and  at  llh  35',  the  whole  valley  was  contracted 
between  enormous  masses  of  rock  to  the  width  of  only 
ten  or  twelve  feet.  This  romantic  pass  is  called  el-Ab- 
weib,  “the  little  door.”  At  12f  o’clock  Wady  es- 
Sa’deh  at  length  opened  from  the  mountains  towards 
the  shore  upon  a  large  bed  of  gravel,  apparently 
brought  down  by  its  torrents.  Here,  just  at  the  left, 
is  a  thin  ridge  or  stratum  of  chalk.  The  shore  is  still 
nearly  a  mile  distant ;  and  near  it,  directly  in  front, 
is  the  brackish  fountain  en-Nuweibi’a,  with  a  few  low 
palm-trees,  belonging  to  the  Muzeiny.  The  descent 
towards  the  shore  over  the  bed  of  gravel  is  very  con¬ 
siderable.2 

The  first  view  of  the  Gulf  and  its  scenery  from  the 
spot  where  we  now  stood,  if  not  beautiful,  (for  how 


1)  The  short  valley  by  which 
we  ascended  is  the  Wady  Bo- 
szeyra  (Buseirah)  of  Burckhardt. 
Our  Arabs  did  not  know  this  name  ; 
but  reckoned  the  whole  to  Wady 
es-Sa’deh. 


2)  This  point  of  the  coast  was 
reached  by  Seetzen  in  A.  D.  1810, 
by  nearly  the  same  route.  Hence 
he  proceeded  southwards  along  the 
shore  of  the  Gulf.  Zach’s  Monatl. 
Corresp.  XXVII.  p.  64. 


Apr.  2.] 


GULF  OF  ’AKABAH. 


229 


can  a  desert  be  beautiful?)  was  yet  in  a  high  degree 
romantic  and  exciting.  The  eastern  Gulf  of  the  Red 
Sea  is  narrower  than  the  western ;  but  it  is  the  same 
long  blue  line  of  water,  running  up  through  the  midst 
of  a  region  totally  desolate.  The  mountains  too  are 
here  higher  and  more  picturesque  than  those  that  skirt 
the  Gulf  of  Suez ;  the  valley  between  them  is  less 
broad ;  and  there  is  not  the  same  extent  of  wide  des¬ 
ert  plains  along  the  shores.  Towards  the  S.  the  Gulf 
seemed  to  he  some  ten  geogr.  miles  in  breadth.  Im¬ 
mediately  at  our  left,  a  broad  gravelly  plain,  having 
also  drift  sand  upon  it,  extended  out  into  the  sea  for 
a  great  distance ;  while  on  the  opposite  coast  a  like 
projection  appeared  to  reach  out  to  a  less  extent ;  so 
that  between  the  two  the  breadth  of  the  Gulf  at  this 
point  was  very  much  diminished.  Further  North  it 
widens  again,  as  before.  The  western  mountains  are 
mostly  precipitous  cliffs  of  granite,  perhaps  eight  hun¬ 
dred  feet  in  height,  and  in  general  a  mile  or  more  dis¬ 
tant  from  the  shore;  though  bays  occasionally  set 
quite  up  to  their  foot.  From  them  a  slope  of  gravel 
usually  extends  down  to  the  sea.  Opposite  to  Wady 
es-Sa’deh  the  mountains  of  the  eastern  coast  are  higher 
than  those  of  the  western ;  but  further  North  they  are 
lower.  The  general  line  of  the  western  coast  runs 
N.  N.  E.  as  far  as  to  the  remarkable  cape  Ras  el-Bur- 
ka’,  which  terminates  the  view  in  that  direction. 

We  now  turned  to  the  left  along  the  coast,  de¬ 
scending  gradually  to  the  gravelly  plain  above  men¬ 
tioned  ;  and  crossing  it  half  way  between  the  mountain 
and  the  sea.  We  found  it  every  where  much  cut  up 
by  water-courses  and  gullies  from  Wady  Wetir,  which 
spread  themselves  widely  over  the  plain,  as  the  waters 
of  the  rainy  season  rush  from  that  Wady  towards  the 
shore.  This  important  Wady,  the  mouth  of  which  we 
passed  at  a  quarter  past  one,  serves  (as  I  have  said 


230  FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  ’AKABAH.  [Sec.  IV. 

above)  to  drain  the  whole  region  between  the  two 
ridges  of  the  Till ;  and  brings  down  occasionally  im¬ 
mense  volumes  of  water,  as  is  evident  from  the  traces 
left  upon  the  plain.  Here  for  the  first  time  we  saw 
trunks  of  trees  thus  brought  down.  The  road  taken 
by  Ruppell  and  Laborde  in  going  from  ’Akabah  to 
Sinai,  passes  up  this  valley  to  el-’ Ain,  about  a  day  and 
a  half  distant;  and  thence  through  Wady  Zulakah  to 
the  convent. 

At  H  o’clock  we  were  opposite  to  el-Wasit,  a  small 
fountain  near  the  shore,  with  a  number  of  palm-trees, 
marking  the  boundary  between  the  Muzeiny  and  the 
few  families  of  Terabin  who  inhabit  this  region. 
Having  crossed  the  projecting  plain,  we  came  at  a 
quarter  past  2  o’clock  to  a  small  grove  of  palm- 
trees  on  the  slope  near  the  shore,  and  a  well  called 
Nuweibi’a  of  the  Terabin,  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
other.  Here  were  traces  of  a  recent  encampment  of 
these  people ;  and  we  expected  to  find  at  least  some 
fishermen  who  frequent  the  coast ;  but  none  appeared. 
Traces  of  former  dwellings,  or  perhaps  magazines, 
were  also  visible,  formed  of  rude  stones  laid  together 
without  cement ;  such  as  are  not  unfrequent  among 
the  Arabs  of  the  peninsula.  Every  three  or  four  of 
the  palm-trees  are  enclosed  by  a  mound  forming  a 
reservoir,  into  which  the  torrents  from  the  mountains 
had  been  turned.  The  well  is  eight  or  ten  feet  deep  ; 
the  water  naturally  brackish;  and  now,  from  long 
standing,  it  emitted  an  odour  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen. 
The  camels  were  watered  here,  and  seemed  thirsty. 
The  Arabs  also  filled  their  water-skins,  saying  we  should 
find  no  more  water  so  good  until  we  reached  ’Akabah. 
The  shrub  Ghurkud  grows  here  in  abundance. — After 
a  detention  of  an  hour,  we  again  set  off.  Many  heaps 
of  large  shells  were  seen  as  we  passed  along ;  show¬ 
ing  how  very  abundant  shell-fish  must  be  upon  this 


Apr.  3.] 


NUWEIBFA  OF  THE  TERABIN. 


231 


coast.  After  three  quarters  of  an  hour,  we  encamped 
at  4  o’clock  on  the  shore,  at  the  foot  of  a  hay  which 
sets  up  near  to  the  mountains. 

Tuesday ,  April  3d.  Our  road  for  the  whole  day 
lay  along  the  shore,  with  high  mountains  at  our  left, 
composed  chiefly  of  dark  gray  granite  with  now  and 
then  a  crest  of  sandstone  upon  the  top  of  the  ridge. 
We  were  mounted  and  upon  our  way  at  half  past  5 
o’clock.  The  rising  sun  threw  his  mellow  beams 
upon  the  transparent  waters  of  the  Gulf;  and  the 
eastern  mountains,  lighted  up  by  his  rays,  presented  a 
fine  picture  of  dark  jagged  peaks  and  masses.  At  the 
end  of  an  hour  the  path  passed  close  to  the  rocks, 
which  are  here  sandstone.  Ten  minutes  further  a 
small  Wady  came  down  from  the  mountains,  for  which 
our  guides  knew  no  name ;  around  it  were  low  hills 
of  conglomerated  granite.  At  7J  o’clock  we  passed 
the  small  Wady  Um  Hash  of  Burckhardt;  a  line  of 
chalk  was  visible  at  the  foot  of  the  hills,  which  were 
crested  with  sandstone.  Just  at  the  edge  of  the  water 
is  an  isolated  rock  called  Murbut  Ka’ud  el-Wasileh, 
on  which  in  former  times  a  watchman  was  stationed 
to  observe  all  comers  from  the  North.  On  seeing  any 
one,  it  was  his  duty  to  ride  to  Nuweibi’a  and  make 
report.  Half  an  hour  further  we  passed  the  mouth  of 
another  Wady,  called  Muwalih  by  Burckhardt,  with 
a  wide  plain  of  gravel  at  its  mouth. 

We  now  had  before  us  the  high  ridge  running  from 
S.  W.  to  N.  E.  which  terminates  in  the  cape  Ras 
el-Burka’  or  Abu  Burka’,  the  “  Veil-cape,”  so  called 
from  its  white  appearance  when  seen  at  a  distance. 
Along  the  southern  side  of  this  ridge  lies  a  wide  bay, 
to  the  shore  of  which  we  came  at  ten  minutes  past 
8  o’clock.  At  9i  o’clock,  we  neared  the  S.  W.  end 
of  the  ridge  of  the  promontory ;  and  at  10  o’clock 
doubled  the  point  of  the  cape,  where  it  juts  into  the 


232 


FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  ’AKABAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


sea  and  only  admits  a  very  narrow  path  along  its 
base.  This  point  is  considerably  lower  than  the  ridge 
further  back  ;  it  is  a  hill  covered  with  drifts  of  white 
sand,  apparently  driven  up  from  the  sea,  and  looking 
at  a  distance  like  a  chalky  cliff.  After  passing  the 
cape,  we  saw  immediately  the  northern  branch  of  the 
Tih,  presenting  the  same  general  appearance  of  a 
wall  of  horizontal  strata  as  the  southern  branch,  and 
terminating  in  a  high  headland  which  Burckhardt 
calls  Ras  Um  Haiyeh;  though  Tuweileb  knew  no 
other  name  for  it  than  et-Tih.  As  far  as  to  this  head¬ 
land,  the  general  course  of  the  shore  was  still  N.  N.  E. 

We  now  had  a  fine  beach  on  our  right,  and  recre¬ 
ated  ourselves  by  walking  along  the  shore  and  picking 
up  the  curious  shells,  which  everywhere  abound. 
The  transparent  green  of  the  water  was  very  inviting ; 
indeed,  nothing  could  look  purer  than  the  waves  as 
they  rolled  in  over  the  clean  white  sand.  I  could  not 
resist  the  temptation ;  and  lingering  behind  the  com¬ 
pany  took  a  hasty  but  very  refreshing  bath.  The 
mountains  here  retreat  a  little,  leaving  a  plain  of  some 
width  between  them  and  the  water.  At  11^  o’clock 
we  came  to  a  well  of  bad  brackish  water,  marked 
by  a  few  palm-trees,  and  called,  like  so  many  others, 
Abu  Suweirah.  From  this  point  we  began  to  ap¬ 
proach  more  nearly  the  end  of  the  northern  Tih; 
which  comes  tumbling  down  towards  the  sea  in  im¬ 
mense  masses  apparently  of  yellow  sandstone ;  but  is 
intercepted  by  a  range  of  granite  cliffs  between  it  and 
the  shore,  running  from  S.  S.  W.  to  N.  N.  E.  which 
again  are  capped  with  red  sandstone.  We  reached 
the  S.  W.  end  of  these  cliffs  at  1  o’clock.  A  steep 
slope  of  gravel  extends  from  them  down  to  the  water ; 
on  a  part  of  which  three  gazelles  were  feeding,  which 
on  seeing  us  bounded  off  fleetly  and  gracefully. 

At  half  past  2  o’clock  Wady  el-Muhash  came  down 


Apr.  3.]  SHORE  OF  THE  GULF.  SHELLS.  233 

through  the  cliffs,  having  before  it  an  immense  bed  of 
gravel.  Looking  up  through  its  gap,  we  could  see  the 
masses  of  the  Tih  on  the  right  beyond.  This  is  pro¬ 
bably  the  vspot  where  Burckhardt’s  guide,  old  ’Aid,  so 
resolutely  went  for  water.1  An  hour  afterwards,  at 
3^  o’clock,  we  were  opposite  the  end  of  the  Tih,  or 
Ras  Um  Haiyeh,  which  does  not  project  into  the  sea, 
though  a  bay  flows  up  to  its  foot.  Its  height  is  about 
the  same  as  the  cliffs  near  Nuweibi’a.  Further  North 
the  mountains  become  lower.  We  now  entered  again 
upon  a  broad  gravel  slope  lying  before  Wady  Mukub- 
beleh  north  of  et-Tih,  the  mouth  of  which  we  passed 
at  4  o’clock.  It  is  here  broad ;  but  one  can  look  up 
through  it  far  into  the  mountains,  where  it  is  quite 
narrow.  Three  quarters  of  an  hour  further  on,  a  rocky 
promontory  at  the  foot  of  a  bay,  (the  Jebel  Sherafeh 
of  Burckhardt,)  presented  a  very  narrow  and  difficult 
pass ;  in  traversing  which  one  of  the  camels  fell  and 
came  near  rolling  into  the  sea.  The  animal  had  to  be 
unloaded  in  order  to  rise ;  and  several  of  the  things 
were  wet.  Meantime  we  had  gone  on  and  encamped 
at  5  o’clock  in  the  broad  Wady  el-Huweimirat,  which 
here  comes  down  from  the  N.  W.  and  was  full  of  herbs. 

The  shore  during  the  whole  journey  of  to-day,  was 
strewed  with  innumerable  shells  of  every  variety  and 
size,  from  the  smallest  up  to  those  weighing  several 
pounds.  They  were  however  mostly  broken  and  of 
no  further  value.  Occasionally  the  sandy  beach  was 
paved  or  rather  incrusted,  with  a  conglomerate  of 
debris  and  shells,  evidently  formed  by  the  action  of 
the  sea-water.  The  shore  was  everywhere  dotted 
with  small  tracks,  which  the  Arabs  said  were  made 
by  a  species  of  shell-flsh,  that  comes  upon  the  land 
every  night  and  returns  to  the  sea  in  the  morning.  We 

A 

1)  Travels,  p.  503. — -This  name  would  more  regularly  be  written  ’/</. 

Vol.  I.  30 


234 


FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  ’AKABAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


afterwards  saw  many  crabs  of  various  species  running 
briskly  upon  the  shore.  One  curious  little  animal  was 
very  frequent ;  a  species  of  shrimp  or  minute  lobster, 
that  had  taken  possession  of  convolute  shells,  in  which 
lie  had  made  himself  at  home ;  and  protruding  his 
head  and  legs,  ran  about  in  great  numbers,  carrying 
his  shell  with  him.  He  was  evidently  a  foreigner;  for 
though  his  body  had  grown  to  the  shape  of  the  shell, 
yet  the  shells  were  all  old  and  some  of  them  broken. 
The  little  fellow  was  not  in  any  way  attached  to  his 
shell ;  and  when  drawn  out,  would  run  away.  Some 
also  had  outgrown  their  shells. 

From  the  headland  of  the  Till  northwards,  the 
general  direction  of  the  western  coast  is  N.  E.  to  its 
extremity.  This  of  course  contracts  the  breadth  of 
the  Gulf  more  and  more  the  nearer  it  approaches  7  Aka- 
ball  ;  as  the  eastern  coast  apparently  continues  nearly 
on  a  straight  line.  Immediately  beyond  the  valley  in 
which  we  encamped,  are  two  promontories  running 
out  for  some  distance  into  the  sea ;  not  high,  but  ter¬ 
minating  in  rocks ;  so  that  loaded  camels  cannot  easily 
pass  around  them.  The  southernmost,  called  el-Muda- 
reij,  is  the  shortest  and  most  difficult;  and  between 
them  is  a  broad  valley. 

The  mountains  on  the  opposite  or  eastern  coast, 
were  here  low ;  and  a  narrow  sloping  plain  seemed  to 
intervene  between  them  and  the  sea.  A  place  called 
Hakl,  the  first  station  of  the  Haj  after  7  Akabah  (men¬ 
tioned  also  by  Edrisi)  was  visible  near  the  coast,  bear¬ 
ing  S.  E.|S.  It  is  in  a  Wady  called  el-Mebruk, 
having  many  palm-trees.  Here  the  route  of  the  Haj 
turns  more  inland.  The  tract  of  mountains  between 
Hakl  and  7 Akabah  is  inhabited  by  the  Arabs  7 Amran ; 
while  those  further  South  are  the  seat  of  the  tribe  call¬ 
ed  Mesa’id,  a  subdivision  ( Fendeh )  of  the  Haweitat. 

Wednesday ,  April  4 th.  The  promontories  before 


Apr.  4.] 


WADY  EL-HUWEIMIRAT. 


235 


us  compelled  us  to  take  a  back  route,  so  as  to  cross 
their  ridges  higher  up.  We  set  off  at  a  quarter  after 
six,  passing  up  Wady  el-Huweimirat  for  ten  minutes 
N.  N.  W.  and  then  turning  into  a  narrower  side  Wady 
on  a  course  N.  E.  Twenty  minutes  more  brought  us 
to  the  foot  of  a  steep  pass  leading  over  to  the  next 
valley.  The  path  is  very  narrow,  ascending  along 
the  face  of  the  sandstone  rock,  and  seemed  to  he  in 
part  artificial.  One  camel  again  fell,  and  began  to 
give  out.  We  reached  the  top  at  6h  50',  and  descend¬ 
ed  gradually  to  the  broad  valley  between  the  two  pro¬ 
montories  ;  where  we  stopped  at  a  quarter  past  7 
for  twenty  minutes,  to  adjust  the  loads,  and  leave  the 
tired  camel  free.  The  poor  animal  was  however  too 
far  gone,  and  died  the  same  night. 

This  Wady  our  Arabs  called  also  el-Huweimirat, 
although  not  connected  with  the  former  one  of  that 
name.1  It  descends  rapidly  to  the  sea,  which  is  not 
far  off ;  and  Burckhardt  appears  to  have  followed 
down  this  valley  and  passed  around  the  second  pro¬ 
montory,  which  he  describes  as  composed  of  black 
basaltic  cliffs,  into  which  the  sea  has  worn  several 
small  creeks  like  little  lakes,  full  of  fish  and  shells. 
Here  Laborde  found  a  bed  of  oysters.  It  seems  also 
to  have  been  in  this  valley,  that  Burckhardt  on  his 
return  was  attacked  by  robbers.  Our  guides  prefer¬ 
red  to  avoid  this  promontory  also  by  a  hack  route. 
Crossing  therefore  the  Wady,  we  continued  on  the 
same  course  up  a  side-valley ;  and  came  at  7h  55' 
to  the  top  of  another  pass,  from  which  the  descent  was 
more  steep  and  rugged  than  any  thing  we  had  yet  met 
with.  This  brought  us  at  8J  o’clock  into  Wady  Me- 
rakh,2  which  we  followed  down  E.  N.  E.  to  the  sea. 
It  is  broad  and  barren;  and  further  down  another 

1)  In  like  manner  Burckhardt  2)  Wady  EmragofRtippell;  the 
apparently  gives  the  name  Mez&-  name  being  less  corrupted  than  is 
r!k  to  both ;  though  incorrectly.  often  the  case  with  that  traveller. 


236 


FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  ’AKABAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


large  branch  joins  it  from  the  N.  W.  bearing  the  same 
name.  The  two  open  broadly  together  upon  the  sea, 
over  an  immense  bed  or  slope  of  gravel,  forming  quite 
a  promontory.  We  came  out  upon  the  slope  at  half 
past  nine.  Towards  the  sea  is  a  palm-tree,  and  a 
little  further  North  another.  There  was  said  also  to 
be  brackish  water  in  the  vicinity.  Here  some  fisher¬ 
men  were  encamped  in  two  or  three  black  tents,  with 
a  few  goats.  One  of  them  brought  us  a  Beden  (as  he 
called  it)  which  he  had  shot ;  we  bought  it  for  five 
Piastres,  instead  of  the  twenty  which  he  asked ;  but  it 
turned  out  to  be  a  gazelle.  We  were  now  in  the  ter¬ 
ritory  of  the  Haiwat ;  that  of  the  Tawarah  and  Te- 
rabin  extending  only  to  the  northern  Tih. 

This  is  doubtless  the  spot  where  Burckhardt  was 
stopped  on  his  way  to  ’Akabah,  and  compelled  to  turn 
back.  As  seen  from  here,  every  thing  corresponds  to 
his  description  the  line  of  date-trees  around  the  cas¬ 
tle  of  ’Akabah  bearing  N.  E.  by  E. ;  the  promontory 
of  Has  Kureiyeh  (as  he  calls  it)  ;  and  the  little  island 
with  ruins  which  his  guides  told  him  of,  but  which  he 
did  not  see  ;  having  probably  looked  for  it  (as  I  did  at 
first)  further  out  in  the  Gulf,  while  it  lies  close  in 
near  the  shore  and  directly  under  the  eye.  Burck¬ 
hardt  however  calls  the  place  not  Wady  Merakh,  but 
Wady  Taba’ ;  and  in  general  the  names  he  mentions 
in  this  vicinity  are  so  different  from  those  we  heard,  or 
so  differently  applied,  that  for  a  long  time  we  knew 
not  what  to  make  of  it.  We  knew  that  old  ’Aid, 
Burckhardt’s  guide,  must  have  been  well  acquainted 
with  the  country ;  and  as  there  was  no  reason  to  sus¬ 
pect  any  deception  on  his  part,  we  were  inclined  to 
distrust  the  accuracy  of  Tuweileb’s  information.  On 
mentioning  the  discrepancy  to  Tuweileb,  he  said  at 
once  that  ’Aid  knew  better  than  he,  and  would  not 


1)  Page  509. 


Apr.  4.] 


ISLAND  EL-KUREIYEH. 


237 


tell  a  lie.  Yet  on  his  inquiring  in  our  presence  of  the 
Arabs  encamped  on  the  spot,  they  confirmed  the  ac¬ 
count  which  Tuweileb  had  already  given.  I  am  in¬ 
clined  therefore  to  charge  the  error  to  Burckhardt  him¬ 
self,  or  rather  to  the  circumstances  in  which  he  was 
placed  ;  for  he  says  expressly,  that  for  the  two  days  he 
was  in  these  parts  he  found  no  opportunity  to  take  any 
notes.1  It  is  not  surprising,  that  in  such  a  multitude 
of  new  names,  not  noted  at  the  time,  some  should  have 
been  forgotten  and  others  applied  to  wrong  places. 
We  here  took  leave  for  the  present  of  this  accom¬ 
plished  and  lamented  traveller  ;  whose  book  hitherto 
had  been  our  constant  companion.2 

Turning  now  to  the  left  we  descended  obliquely 
on  a  N.  E.  course  across  the  gravel  slope,  and  at  9h 
40'  reached  the  shore  of  a  little  bay  with  a  sandy 
beach.  At  10  o’clock  we  were  opposite  the  little  island 
above  mentioned,  which  we  judged  to  be  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  or  more  distant  from  the  shore.  It  is  merely  a 
narrow  granite  rock  some  three  hundred  yards  in 
length,  stretching  from  N.  W.  to  S.  E.  with  two  points 
or  hillocks,  one  higher  than  the  other,  connected  by  a 
lower  isthmus.  On  it  are  the  ruins  of  an  Arabian 
fortress  with  an  embattled  wall  running  around  the 
whole,  having  two  gateways  with  pointed  arches. 
This  is  without  any  doubt  the  former  citadel  of  Ailah, 
mentioned  by  Abulfeda  as  lying  in  the  sea.  In  A.  D. 
1182  it  was  unsuccessfully  besieged  with  ships,  by  the 
impetuous  Rainald  of  Chatillon;  and  in  Abulfeda’s 
time  (about  A.  D.  1300)  it  was  already  abandoned, 
and  the  governor  transferred  to  the  castle  on  the 


1)  Page  517. 

2)  Old  ’Aid,  it  seems,  was  quite 
a  noted  character  in  the  peninsula. 
Tuweileb  had  known  him,  and  all 
our  Arabs  had  heard  of  him.  They 
also  knew  Hamd,  the  other  faith¬ 


ful  and  intrepid  attendant  of  Burck¬ 
hardt,  who  was  of  their  clan,  the 
Aul£ul  Sa’id.  He  was  still  living 
as  a  poor  man  in  Cairo  ;  where  he 
made  it  his  business  to  procure 
fodder  lor  camels. 


238 


FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  ’AKA BAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


shore.1  The  ruins  therefore  cannot  well  he  referred 
to  a  period  later  than  the  twelfth  century.  Our  Arabs 
called  this  island  only  el-Kurey,  or  el-Kureiyeh ;  the 
diminutive  of  a  word  which  signifies  a  village,  but 
which  they  also  apply  to  the  ruins  of  such  a  place. 
The  Arabs  of  the  eastern  coast,  according  to  Lieut. 
Wellsted,  give  it  the  name  of  Jezirat  Far’dn,  1  Pha¬ 
raoh’s  Island.52  From  the  castle  of  ’Akabah  it  bears 

w.  s.  w. 

Continuing  our  course  we  came  in  twenty  minutes 
to  the  little  Wady  el-Kureiyeh,  coming  down  from  the 
left,  so  called  from  the  island  before  it.  Then  followed 
the  sand  and  stones  of  Wady  el-Mezarik,  which  we 
passed  at  10f  o’clock.  Here  low  hills  of  sandstone 
and  chalk  interrupted  the  granite  for  a  time.  Further 
on,  in  the  broad  plain  of  Wady  Taba’  we  came  at  half 
past  11  o’clock  to  a  brackish  well,  with  many  palm- 
trees.  Among  the  latter  was  one  tree  of  the  species 
called  Ddm)  the  Theban  palm,  so  frequent  in  Upper 
Egypt.  Here  was  also  a  large  square  hole  dug  in  the 
ground,  walled  up  with  rough  stones,  like  a  cellar ;  in 
it  had  once  been  a  well,  but  the  bottom  was  now 
covered  with  young  palm-trees.  Higher  up  in  the 
valley  there  was  said  to  be  better  water. 

Beyond  this  valley  or  plain,  the  granite  rocks  come 
down  to  the  shore  again,  forming  a  long  black  promon¬ 
tory,  called  by  Burckhardt  Ras  Kureiyeh,  and  by  our 
guides  Elteit ;  but  the  Arabs  at  ’Akabah  gave  it  the 
name  of  Ras  el-Musry,  and  said  that  Elteit  was  the 
name  of  a  valley  on  the  eastern  coast.  Ten  minutes 


1)  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kreuz- 
ziige  III.  ii.  p.  222.  Abulfed. 
Arab,  in  Geogr.  vet.  Scriptores, 
ed.  Hudson,  Oxon.  1712.  Tom.  III. 
p.  41.  Schultens  Ind.  Geogr.  in 
Vit.  Salad,  art.  Aila.  Rommel’s 
Abulfeda,  p.  78,  79.  See  more 
under  Ailah ,  further  on. 


2)  This  island  has  been  descri¬ 
bed  by  Lieut.  Wellsted,  Travels, 
II.  pp.  140,  142,  seq ;  also  by  La- 
borde  and  by  Riippell,  Reisen  in 
Nubien,  p.  252.  Both  these  travel¬ 
lers  have  given  views  of  the  ruins  ; 
that  of  Laborde  is  more  elegant, 
and  that  of  Riippell  more  correct. 


Apr.  4.] 


NORTHERN  END  OF  THE  GULF. 


239 


brought  us  to  the  side  of  this  promontory  running  E. 
N.  E.  Our  way  led  along  its  base ;  and  we  turned 
the  extremity  at  a  quarter  past  noon.  Hence  the 
little  island  bore  S.  65°  W.  while  the  shore  before  us 
continued  N.  E.  Just  beyond  this  point,  a  valley 
called  Wady  el-Musry  is  said  to  come  in ;  but  we  did 
not  take  note  of  it  at  the  time.  The  mountains  on 
the  left  here  retire  from  the  coast ;  and  near  it  are  only 
low  hills  of  conglomerated  sand  and  gravel,  almost  of 
the  consistence  of  rock,  and  extending  beyond  the  head 
of  the  Gulf.  We  now  began  to  see  the  opening  of  the 
great  valley  el-’Arabah.  The  mountains  on  the  East 
of  it  are  high  and  picturesque  ;  and  a  low  spot  in  them 
marks  the  place  of  Wady  el-Itlnn.  At  2  o’clock,  we 
passed  a  small  rock  on  the  shore,  with  a  heap  of  stones 
upon  it,  called  Hajr  el-’Alawy,  ‘  Stone  of  the  ’Alawy.7 
This  Tuweileb  said,  was  the  ancient  and  proper  bound¬ 
ary  of  the  Tawarah  in  this  quarter,  separating  them 
from  the  ’Alawin  ;  and  here  in  former  days,  both  men 
and  beasts  entering  the  territory  of  the  Tawarah  paid 
a  tribute.  At  length,  at  a  quarter  past  2  o’clock, 
we  reached  the  N.  W.  corner  of  the  Gulf,  and  entered 
the  great  Haj  road,  which  comes  down  from  the 
western  mountain  and  passes  along  the  shore  at  the 
northern  end  of  the  sea.  Just  at  this  point  we  met  a 
large  caravan  of  the  Haweitat  coming  from  the  eastern 
desert,  whence  they  had  been  driven  out  by  the 
drought.  They  were  now  wandering  towards  the 
South  of  Palestine,  and  had  with  them  about  seventy 
camels  and  many  asses,  but  no  flocks.  These  were 
the  first  real  Arabs  of  the  desert  we  had  seen ;  not 
wearing  the  turban  like  the  Tawarah,  but  decorated 
with  the  Kefiyeh ,  a  handkerchief  of  yellow  or  some 
glaring  colour  thrown  over  the  head,  and  bound  fast 
with  a  skein  of  woollen  yarn ;  the  corners  being  left 
loose  and  hanging  down  the  sides  of  the  face  and  neck. 


240 


FROM  MOUNT  SINAI  TO  5  ARAB  AH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


They  were  wild,  savage,  hungry-looking  fellows ;  and 
we  thought  we  had  much  rather  be  with  our  mild 
Tawarah  than  in  their  power.  Tuweileb  held  a  par¬ 
ley  with  them,  which  detained  us  fifteen  minutes. 

From  this  point,  which  we  left  at  2\  o’clock,  the 
N.  shore  of  the  Gulf  runs  S.  E.  almost  in  a  straight 
line  nearly  to  the  castle  of  ’Akabah.  The  general 
course  of  Wady  el- 7  Arab  ah,  taken  about  the  middle, 
is  here  N.  N.  E.  Its  width  at  this  end  is  about  four 
geogr.  miles ;  farther  North  it  is  wider.  The  moun¬ 
tains  on  either  side  are  high ;  those  on  the  West  fifteen 
to  eighteen  hundred  feet,  and  those  on  the  East  two 
thousand  to  twenty-five  hundred  feet.  The  valley 
was  full  of  sand-drifts  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach ; 
and  seemed  to  have  little  or  no  acclivity  towards  the 
North.  The  torrents,  which  in  the  rainy  season  stream 
into  it  from  the  adjacent  mountains,  flow  along  its 
western  side,  so  far  as  they  are  not  absorbed  by  the 
sand ;  and  enter  the  sea  at  the  N.  W.  corner.  There 
is  no  appearance  of  a  water-course  in  any  other  part 
of  the  valley.  Along  the  shore  from  this  point  nearly 
to  the  castle,  the  waters  of  the  Gulf  have  cast  up  an 
unbroken  bank  of  sand  and  gravel  which  is  higher 
than  the  level  of  the  Wady,  and  would  prevent  the 
passage  of  any  stream.  On  the  North  of  the  path, 
towards  the  western  side,  a  large  tract  has  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  moist  marshy  ground,  seemingly  impreg¬ 
nated  with  nitre,  and  looking  as  if  water  had  recently 
been  standing  upon  it ;  which  sinking  or  drying  away, 
had  left  an  incrustation  on  many  portions  of  the  sur¬ 
face.  This  tract  is  mostly  naked  of  vegetation  ;  yet 
the  parts  in  the  vicinity  are  full  of  shrubs,  chiefly  of 
the  Gliurkud ;  and  seen  from  a  distance,  the  ground 
appears  as  if  covered  with  a  luxuriant  vegetation. 
This  however  vanishes  on  a  nearer  approach.  We 
looked  in  vain  in  the  western  part  of  the  valley  for 


Apr.  4.] 


HEAD  OF  THE  GULF. 


241 


traces  of  ruins  of  any  kind ;  we  had  hoped  to  find  some¬ 
thing  by  which  to  fix  a  site  for  Ezion-geber.  Towards 
the  eastern  side  and  around  the  castle  is  a  large  grove 
of  palm-trees,  extending  both  ways  for  some  distance 
along  the  shore. 

At  3h  40'  we  reached  the  end  of  the  straight  part 
of  the  shore,  which  here  takes  a  direction  due  S.  for 
perhaps  half  an  hour ;  when  it  again  curves  around 
S.  S.  W.  to  the  general  line  of  the  eastern  coast.  At 
this  point  the  extensive  mounds  of  rubbish,  which  mark 
the  site  of  Ailah,  the  Elath  of  Scripture,  were  on  our 
left.  They  present  nothing  of  interest,  except  as  indi¬ 
cating  that  a  very  ancient  city  has  here  utterly  perish¬ 
ed.  We  did  not  learn  that  they  have  now  a  name. 
Further  E.  than  these,  beyond  a  gully  coming  down 
from  the  eastern  mountain,  are  the  ruins  of  an  Arab 
village,  mere  walls  of  stone  once  covered  probably 
with  flat  roofs  of  palm-leaves,  like  the  dwellings  now 
just  around  the  castle.  Many  of  the  palm-trees  are 
here  enclosed  in  reservoirs,  in  order  to  retain  the 
water  of  the  rainy  season  around  them.  At  3h  5Cf  we 
reached  the  castle,  and  entered  the  huge  portal  from 
the  N.  W.  through  strong  and  massive  doors  heavily 
cased  with  iron ;  the  whole  passage-way  being  lined 
with  many  Arabic  inscriptions. 

The  castle  is  an  oblong  quadrangle  of  high  thick 
walls,  with  a  tower  or  bastion  at  each  of  the  four  cor¬ 
ners.1  All  around  the  wall  on  the  inside  is  a  row  of 
chambers  or  magazines  one  story  high,  with  a  solid 
flat  roof,  forming  a  platform  around  the  interior  of  the 
castle.  On  this  platform  are  erected  in  several  parts 
temporary  huts  or  chambers,  covered  with  the  stalks 
of  palm-leaves,  and  occupied  apparently  by  the  garri¬ 
son  as  dwellings.  We  did  not  learn  the  time  when 


1)  A  view  of  the  castle  of  ’Akabah  is  given  by  Ruppell  and  by  Laborde. 

Vol.  I.  31 


242 


’AKABAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


the  fortress  was  built ;  the  date  is  doubtless  contained 
in  some  of  the  numerous  inscriptions ;  but  we  were  so 
much  taken  up  with  other  matters,  that  this  point  was 
overlooked.  Burckhardt  says  it  was  erected,  as  it  now 
stands,  by  the  Sultan  el-Ghury  of  Egypt  in  the  six¬ 
teenth  century.  This  is  not  improbable ;  though  I  am 
not  aware  of  the  authority  on  which  the  assertion  rests. 
The  garrison  consisted  at  this  time  of  thirty-three  un¬ 
disciplined  soldiers,  Mugharibeh  or  Western  Africans, 
as  they  were  called,  but  actually  Bedawin  from  Upper 
Egypt.  In  command  of  these  were  a  Captain  of  the 
Gate,  a  Gunner,  a  Wakil  or  Commissary,  and  over 
all  a  Governor. 

As  we  entered  the  fortress,  the  governor  was  sit¬ 
ting  in  the  open  air  on  a  bench  or  platform  under  the 
windows  of  a  room  near  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the  court. 
He  received  us  with  apathetic  civility,  invited  us  to 
sit  upon  his  platform,  ordered  coffee,  and  meantime 
read  the  letters  which  we  had  brought  from  Habib 
Effendi  and  the  governor  of  Suez.  He  was  a  young 
man,  who  had  been  here  only  four  or  five  months ; 
his  predecessor  having  been  recalled,  it  was  said,  on 
account  of  incivility  to  former  travellers.  There  was 
therefore  in  his  whole  demeanour  towards  us,  now  and 
afterwards,  an  air  of  studied  endeavour,  not  indeed  to 
please  and  gratify  us,  but  so  to  conduct  as  to  avoid 
complaint  and  future  censure.  The  room  before  which 
he  was  sitting,  was  assigned  to  us ;  it  seemed  to  be 
his  usual  hall  of  audience,  with  coarse  gratings  for 
windows,  but  no  glass.  Here  our  luggage  was  depo¬ 
sited,  and  we  spread  our  beds ;  and  as  the  walls  of  the 
room  were  of  stone  and  the  floor  of  earth,  and  cold,  we 
escaped  the  usual  annoyance  from  bugs  and  fleas,  for 
which  the  place  is  famous.  Scorpions  are  also  said  to 
be  in  plenty  here ;  but  we  saw  none  of  them.  They 
are  caught  by  cats,  of  which  there  are  great  numbers 


Apr.  4.]  THE  FORTRESS.  ALARM  OF  FIRE.  243 

in  the  castle,  as  we  found  at  night  to  our  cost. — Our 
Tawarah  with  their  camels  betook  themselves  for  the 
night  without  the  walls. 

We  were  yet  sitting  and  chatting  with  the  gover¬ 
nor,  when  it  was  discovered  that  the  palm-leaf  roof 
of  one  of  the  huts  overagainst  us  had  caught  fire  ;  and 
suddenly  it  burst  out  into  a  terrific  blaze,  rising  along 
and  above  the  wall  of  the  castle.  All  was  now  con¬ 
fusion  and  clamour  and  hurrying  to  and  fro;  the 
governor  forgot  his  pipe,  his  slippers,  and  his  dignity, 
and  rushed  eagerly  among  the  crowd,  distributing  his 
orders,  to  which  no  man  listened ;  while  to  heighten 
the  alarm,  it  was  now  announced  that  the  powder- 
magazine  of  the  fortress  was  directly  under  the  flames. 
Fortunately  there  was  nothing  but  stone-work  in  the 
vicinity,  and  water  in  plenty  was  near ;  so  that  the 
fire  was  soon  extinguished  with  little  damage,  after 
vast  clamour  and  uproar  among  the  Arabs.  We  were 
not  able  to  satisfy  ourselves,  whether  the  story  of ‘the 
powder  had  any  foundation  or  not. 

We  now  withdrew  to  our  room,  and  endeavoured 
to  make  use  of  the  time  for  writing  ;  but  the  idea  of 
our  wishing  to  be  alone  was  incomprehensible  to  our 
new  friends  ;  and  we  might  as  well  have  set  ourselves 
down  in  the  middle  of  the  court.  My  companion 
wishing  to  speak  with  the  governor  by  himself,  sought 
him  out  in  his  private  room,  and  found  him  less  re¬ 
served  and  more  friendly  than  he  had  been  in  public. 
Indeed,  it  is  well  understood  that  all  the  officers  men¬ 
tioned  above  are  only  spies  upon  each  other ;  and  the 
governor  had  regulated  his  demeanour  in  public 
accordingly.  Meantime,  as  our  spokesman  was  absent, 
our  own  apartment  was  left  more  in  quiet. 

In  the  evening  we  were  invited  by  the  governor 
to  coffee  in  his  private  room,  up  one  flight  of  stairs 
near  the  S.  W.  bastion.  The  room  was  small  and 


244 


’AKABAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


entirely  naked,  with  a  floor  of  earth  and  a  roof  of  the 
stalks  of  palm-leaves.  In  one  corner  was  a  wooden 
bench  or  platform  about  three  feet  high,  on  which 
were  his  carpet  and  cushions ;  in  another  part  a  little 
basin  or  hearth  for  making  coffee  ;  and  these  with  one 
or  two  mats  on  the  floor  made  up  the  furniture.  We 
were  admitted  to  his  divan ;  others  who  came  in,  took 
their  places  on  the  mats  or  squatted  down  on  their 
feet.  This  soiree  was  well  meant,  but  proved  to  be 
rather  tedious. 

In  coming  by  the  way  of  ’Akabah,  it  had  been  our 
plan  to  proceed  directly  to  Wady  Musa,  either  along  the 
’Arabah,  or  through  the  eastern  mountains,  and  thence 
to  Hebron ;  and  we  had  been  habitually  led  to  look 
upon  this  place  as  perhaps  the  most  critical  point  in 
our  whole  journey.  The  country  between  it  and 
Wady  Musa,  including  the  ’Arabah,  is  in  possession  of 
the  ’Alawin,  a  branch  or  clan  of  the  great  tribe 
Haweitat ;  who  of  course  have  the  right  of  conducting 
all  travellers  passing  through  their  territory.  They 
are  a  lawless  tribe,  standing  in  no  good  repute  among 
their  neighbours  ;  and  their  Sheikh  Husein  has  of  late 
years  become  especially  notorious  among  travellers,  as 
faithless  and  mean-spirited.1  We  therefore  anticipated 
difficulty  and  much  petty  annoyance  and  imposition, 
both  here  and  on  our  way  to  Hebron;  though  we 
knew  that  the  fear  of  the  Pasha  would  exempt  us 
from  all  open  attempts  upon  our  person  or  property. 
We  had  never  thought  of  taking  any  other  route.  We 
now  learned,  however,  that  Husein  and  his  tribe  were 
encamped  at  the  distance  of  two  days’  journey  from 
’Akabah,  near  Ma’an ;  and  that  it  would  require  at 
least  four  days’  time  to  get  him  here ;  besides  the  delay 


1)  This  is  the  same  person  the  Araba;”  Reise.  etc.  II.  p.  394. 
whom  Schubert  calls  “Emir  Sa-  We  heard  nothing  of  any  such 
lem  of  Gaza,  the  great  Sheikh  of  name  or  attributes. 


Apr.  5.] 


NEGOTIATIONS. 


245 


that  would  be  incident  to  making  a  bargain  and  other 
preparations  for  the  further  journey.  If  therefore  we 
sent  for  him,  we  must  be  content  to  wait  here  pent  up 
in  the  fortress  for  five  or  six  days,  without  employment 
or  interest,  and  exposed  to  perpetual  annoyance  from 
Arab  curiosity  and  official  impertinence. 

The  idea  of  such  a  loss  of  time  was  insupportable ; 
and  we  looked  about  for  some  way  of  escaping  at  a 
less  expense  from  this  castle,  which  we  already  began 
to  dread  in  anticipation  as  a  prison-house.  Our  Tawa- 
rah  could  not  take  us  to  Wady  Musa  without  invading 
the  rights  of  another  tribe,  and  exposing  themselves 
to  reprisals ;  but  both  they  and  the  governor  said  they 
could  carry  us  across  the  western  desert  to  Gaza  or 
the  vicinity,  without  danger  of  being  interfered  with 
by  any  one.  On  further  inquiry,  we  found  also  that 
the  same  route  would  lead  us  to  Gaza  or  Hebron,  as 
we  pleased ;  and  we  need  not  decide  for  either  until 
we  should  approach  the  confines  of  Palestine.  The 
journey,  it  was  said,  would  occupy  five  or  six  days. 
As  this  was  a  route  for  the  most  part  hitherto  untrod¬ 
den  by  any  modern  traveller,  and  we  should  thus  avoid 
delay  and  all  necessity  of  intercourse  with  the  ’Ala- 
win,  we  determined  (if  possible)  to  make  a  new  con¬ 
tract  with  our  faithful  Tawarah,  and  proceed  in  this 
direction;  leaving  a  visit  to  Wady  Musa  to  be  after¬ 
wards  connected  with  our  contemplated  excursion  to 
the  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  On  inquiring  of  the 
Tawarah,  they  expressed  a  willingness  to  go  with  us ; 
but,  taking  their  tone  from  the  atmosphere  of  the  cas¬ 
tle,  or  from  what  they  had  heard  of  the  ’Alawin,  they 
demanded  for  each  camel  two  hundred  Piastres  for 
the  journey  ;  a  larger  sum  than  we  had  paid  them  for 
the  whole  distance  from  Cairo  to  this  place.  So  the 
matter  rested  for  the  night. 

Thursday,  April  5th.  Forenoon .  This  morning  the 


246 


’AKABAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


negotiation  was  resumed  with  an  offer  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  Piastres  on  our  part,  and  a  demand  from 
the  Arabs  of  one  hundred  and  seventy,  which  they 
afterwards  abated  to  one  hundred  and  fifty.  As  they 
were  sitting  with  us  to  talk  the  matter  over,  the  gov¬ 
ernor  came  in  with  his  attendants  and  cushions ;  and 
seating  himself,  ordered  coffee  to  he  made  and  served 
round.  Our  own  breakfast  was  now  brought  ;  and 
our  own  Arabs  had  the  tact  to  go  away.  The  gover¬ 
nor  and  his  attendants  remained ;  but  declined  par¬ 
taking  of  the  meal  to  which  we  invited  them,  except 
so  far  as  to  drink  a  cup  of  tea.  They  afterwards 
withdrew  ;  and  our  Arabs  again  took  up  the  negotia¬ 
tion.  After  long  and  grave  discussion,  the  result  was, 
that  the  intermediate  sum  of  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
five  Piastres  was  agreed  to  by  both  parties.  In  the 
place  of  the  dead  camel,  one  of  Tuweileb’s  was  to 
carry  a  load ;  and  we  undertook  to  furnish  provisions 
for  the  men  upon  the  way.  This  was  no  great  mat¬ 
ter,  for  their  wants  are  few  and  their  palates  not  diffi¬ 
cult.  Bread  and  rice  are  luxuries  which  they  seldom 
enjoy ;  and  of  these  we  had  an  ample  supply.  The 
commissary  in  the  castle  had  also  a  few  stores  for  sale, 
at  enormous  prices ;  but  we  bought  little  except  a 
supply  of  lentiles  or  small  beans,  which  are  common 
in  Egypt  and  Syria  under  the  name  of  5 Adas ;  the 
same  from  which  the  pottage  was  made  for  which 
Esau  sold  his  birthright.  W  e  found  them  very  pala¬ 
table,  and  could  well  conceive,  that  to  a  weary  hunter, 
faint  with  hunger,  they  might  be  quite  a  dainty.1 

While  these  negotiations  were  going  on,  I  took  a 
stroll  alone  without  the  walls  along  the  shore.  The 
castle  is  situated  quite  at  the  eastern  part  of  Wady 
el-’Arabah,  on  the  gravel  slope  which  here  rises  from 


1)  Gen.  xxv.  34.  The  name  in  Hebrew  and  Arabic  is  the  same. 


Apr.  5.] 


ENVIRONS. 


247 


the  water  towards  the  eastern  mountain.  Directly 
back  of  the  castle  the  mountain  is  high,  and  bears  the 
name  of  Jebel  el-Ashhab  ;  but  further  S.  the  hills 
near  the  coast  become  much  lower.  The  slope  back 
of  the  castle  is  cut  up  with  gullies  from  mountain-tor¬ 
rents  ;  without  however  presenting  any  large  and  dis¬ 
tinct  water-course.  Wady  el-Ithm  enters  the  ’Arabah 
further  North  on  the  same  side;  and  I  was  disap¬ 
pointed  in  not  finding  anywhere  in  the  latter  valley, 
more  traces  of  the  waters  which  must  rush  into  it 
during  the  rainy  season.  Indeed  very  little  water 
would  seem  to  flow  along  it  into  the  Gulf ;  the  greater 
part  being  probably  absorbed  by  the  sand. 

On  the  shore  I  tried  the  experiment  which  both 
Riippell  and  Laborde  mention,  of  obtaining  fresh  water 
by  digging  holes  in  the  sand  when  the  tide  is  out.  It 
was  in  part  successful ;  though  less  so  than  I  had  been 
led  to  expect  from  their  accounts.  On  digging  a  hole 
with  the  hands,  it  gradually  filled  with  water,  which  at 
first  w^s  salt ;  but  when  this  was  removed,  the  hole 
again  became  slowly  filled  with  fresh  water.  The 
Arabs  had  dug  several  larger  holes  just  by,  in  which 
fresh  water  was  standing.  The  language  of  Laborde 
seems  to  imply,  that  the  chief  supply  of  water  for  the 
fortress  is  obtained  in  this  way ;  but  this  is  not  the  case ; 
as  there  is  a  large  well  within  the  walls,  only  fifteen 
or  twenty  feet  deep,  which  furnishes  an  abundance  of 
good  water.  There  are  also  other  like  wells  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  fortress.  Indeed  the  fresh  water  on  the 
shore  is  apparently  on  about  the  same  level  with  the 
bottom  of  these  wells  ;  and  the  supply  of  both  probably 
comes  from  water,  that  filters  its  way  down  from  the 
eastern  mountain  under  the  gravel  which  here  forms 
a  slope  quite  to  the  sea.  This  appearance  of  water 
is  confined  to  the  shore  near  the  castle ;  for  I  repeated 
the  same  experiment  afterwards  in  several  places 


’AKABAH. 


248 


[Sec.  IV. 


towards  the  middle  of  Wady  el-’Arabah  without  the 
slightest  success. 

Immediately  around  the  fortress,  several  families 
of  the  Arabs  ’Amran  have  taken  up  their  abode,  and 
built  themselves  huts  of  stone, — long  low  rude  hovels, 
roofed  only  with  the  stalks  of  palm-leaves.  The  pro¬ 
per  territory  of  the  tribe  commences  here,  and  includes 
the  mountains  further  S.  and  S.  E.;  but  these  appeared 
to  be  a  sort  of  dependants  on  the  castle,  employed  in 
its  service  as  menials.  The  number  would  seem  to 
have  been  formerly  much  greater ;  as  dwellings  of  the 
same  kind  in  ruins  extend  M.  W.  nearly  to  the  mounds 
of  Ailah.  Half  an  hour  S.  of  the  fortress,  in  the  mouth 
of  the  Wady  Elteit,  is  the  ruin  of  a  small  Arab  fort  or 
castle,  called  Kiisr  el-Bedawy  ;  which  may  perhaps 
have  served  for  the  protection  of  the  Haj  or  caravan  of 
pilgrims  before  the  present  larger  one  was  built. — Ac¬ 
cording  to  Ruppell’s  observations,  the  castle  of  ’Aka- 
bah  lies  in  Lat.  29°  30'  58"  N.  and  Long.  32°  40'  30" 
E.  from  Paris,  or  35°  O'  54"  E.  from  Greenwich.1  From 
it  the  little  island  of  Kureiyeh  with  its  ruins  bears  W. 
S.  W.  at  the  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles. 

On  returning  into  the  fortress  at  10  o’clock,  I  found 
all  our  own  preparations  completed ;  and  we  wished 
to  set  off  without  delay.  But  as  we  were  about  to 
take  a  route  which  our  Tawarah  had  never  travelled, 
it  was  necessary  to  have  with  us  a  guide  acquainted 
with  the  country.  With  such  an  one  the  governor  un- 


1)  See  Berghaus’  Memoir  zu 
seiner  Karte  von  Syrien,  pp.  28, 
30. — This  gives  the  difference  of 
Longitude  between  ’Akabah  and 
Suez  at  2°  29'  21".  The  Longi¬ 
tude  of  ’Akabah  given  by  Moresby 
on  his  Chart  of  the  Red  Sea  is  35° 
6'  E.  from  Greenwich,  equal  to  32° 
45'  36"  E.  from  Paris;  and  differ¬ 
ing  from  the  specification  of  Rup- 
pell  by  more  than  5  minutes.  But 


the  distance  between  ’Akabah  and 
Suez  on  the  same  chart  is  in  like 
manner  only  2°  29' ;  so  that  a  like 
variation  is  found  at  both  places. 
Hence,  as  the  Longitude  of  Suez 
has  been  several  times  deter¬ 
mined,  Ruppell’s  specification  at 
’Akabah  is  to  be  preferred ;  espe¬ 
cially  as  that  of  Moresby  was 
reckoned  by  chronometer  from 
Bombay. 


Apr.  5.] 


PAPERS.  PRESENTS. 


249 


dertook  to  furnish  us ;  and  besides,  he  went  very  me¬ 
thodically  to  work,  and  gave  and  took  papers  to  secure 
both  himself  and  us.  These  were :  First ,  an  acknow¬ 
ledgement  from  us,  that  he  had  fulfilled  to  our  satisfac¬ 
tion  the  requisitions  contained  in  the  letter  of  Habib 
Effendi.  Second ,  a  Tezkirah  or  protection  for  us,  sta¬ 
ting  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  and  that  no  one 
had  a  right  to  interfere  with  our  journey,  and  forbid¬ 
ding  all  interference. 1  Third,  a  pledge  from  our  Ta- 
warah  Arabs  for  our  safe-conduct  to  Gaza,  etc.  The 
preparation  of  these  papers,  the  instructions  to  the 
guide,  the  loading  of  the  camels,  and  the  like,  occupied 
the  whole  time  till  1  o’clock  P.  M. 

As  we  were  leaving  the  castle,  we  tendered  as  a 
matter  of  course  to  the  governor  a  present,  such  as  ex¬ 
perience  had  shown  us  to  be  about  ‘  the  thing.’  He 
declined  it  however  for  himself,  with  the  remark,  that 
the  other  three  officers  were  also  accustomed  to  receive 
presents.  My  companion  replied,  that  we  had  had 
nothing  to  do  with  them,  and  had  not  even  seen  them 
all ;  yet  if  he  chose  to  divide  the  money  among  them, 
we  had  no  objection ;  or  if  he  would  tell  us  how  much 
more  was  necessary,  and  would  give  us  a  receipt  to  be 
shown  to  the  Consul  in  Cairo,  theys  liould  have  it. 
But  this  he  did  not  seem  much  to  relish,  and  ran  shuf¬ 
fling  after  us  in  his  slippers  to  return  the  money ;  pro¬ 
bably  thinking  it  was  not  enough  to  satisfy  all  his  bro¬ 
ther  spies.  Indeed  we  found  the  whole  establishment 
to  be  a  nest  of  harpies ;  and  were  heartily  glad  to  quit 
the  castle.  Yet,  for  a  traveller  who  has  a  bargain  to 
make  with  the  ’Alawin,  it  might  be  well  to  propitiate 
all  these  dignitaries  by  presents  of  small  articles  of 
dress,  such  as  a  cap,  handkerchief,  or  the  like,  rather 

1)  This  paper  is  so  curious  in  tion  of  it  in  Note  XIX,  at  the  end 
its  details,  that  I  give  a  transla-  of  the  volume. 

Vol.  I.  32 


250 


’AKABAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


than  money ;  for  they  can  be  of  great  assistance  to  him 
in  dealing  with  these  most  faithless  of  the  Beclawin. 

Just  before  setting  off,  we  saw  in  one  corner  the 
process  of  manufacturing  the  goats’-hair  cloth  of  which 
the  common  Arab  cloaks  are  made.  A  woman  had 
laid  her  warp  along  the  ground  for  the  length  of  seve¬ 
ral  yards,  and  sat  at  one  end  of  it  under  a  small  shed, 
with  a  curtain  before  her  to  ward  off  the  eyes  of 
passers-by.  She  wove  by  passing  the  woof  through 
with  her  hand,  and  then  driving  it  up  with  a  flat  piece 
of  board  having  a  thin  edge. 


In  very  ancient  times  there  lay  at  this  extremity 
of  the  Eastern  Gulf  of  the  Red  Sea,  two  towns  of  note 
in  Scripture  history,  Ezion-geber  and  Elath.  The 
former  is  mentioned  first,  as  a  station  of  the  Israelites, 
from  which  they  returned  to  Kadesh  probably  a  second 
time ;  and  both  towns  are  again  named  after  that 
people  had  left  Mount  Hor,  as  the  point  where  they 
turned  eastward  from  the  Red  Sea  in  order  to  pass 
around  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  land  of  Edom.1  That 
they  were  near  each  other  is  also  said  expressly  in 
another  place.2 

Ezion-geber  became  famous  as  the  port  where 
Solomon,  and  after  him  Jehoshaphat,  built  fleets  to 
carry  on  a  commerce  with  Opliir.3  Josephus  says  it  lay 
near  iElana,  and  was  afterwards  called  Berenice.4 
But  it  is  mentioned  no  more  ;  and  no  trace  of  it  seems 
now  to  remain ;  unless  it  be  in  the  name  of  a  small 

1)  Num.  xxxiii.  35.  xxi.  4.  2)  1  Kings  ix.  26,  “  Ezion-geber 

Deut.  ii.  8,  “by  way  of  the  plain  which  is  beside  [or  at]  Elath,  on 
[which  extends]  from  Elath  and  the  shore  of  the  Red  Sea.”  Com- 
Ezion-geber.”  The  Hebrew  word  pare  2  Chron.  viii.  17,  18. 
here  translated  c plain’  is  ^Arabah,  3)  See  the  preceding  Note; 
the  same  as  the  present  Arabic  also  1  Kings  xxii.  49.  [48.] 
name  of  the  great  valley.  4)  Antiq.  VIII.  6.  4. 


Sec.  IV.] 


ELATH.  AILAH. 


251 


Wady  with  brackish  water,  el-Ghudyan,  opening  into 
el-’Arabah  from  the  western  mountain  some  distance 
North  of  ’Akabah.1 

Elath,  called  by  the  Greeks  and  Romans  Allah  and 
A31ana,  appears  to  have  supplanted  by  degrees  its  less 
fortunate  neighbour ;  perhaps  after  having  been  rebuilt 
by  Azariah  (Uzziah)  about  800  B.  C.  Some  fifty 
years  later  it  was  taken  from  the  Jews  by  Rezin  king 
of  Syria,  and  never  came  again  into  their  possession.2 
The  notices  of  this  city  found  in  Greek  and  Roman 
writers,  are  fully  collected  in  the  great  works  of  Cel- 
larius  and  Reland.3  In  the  days  of  Jerome  it  was  still 
a  place  of  trade  to  India ;  and  a  Roman  legion  was 
stationed  here.  Theodoret  a  little  later  remarks,  that 
it  had  formerly  been  a  great  emporium,  and  that  ships 
in  his  time  sailed  from  thence  to  India.4  Ailah  be¬ 
came  early  the  seat  of  a  Christian  church ;  and  the 
names  of  four  bishops  of  Ailah  are  found  in  various 
councils  from  A.  D.  320  to  A.  D.  536.5  In  the  sixth 
century  also,  Procopius  speaks  of  its  being  inhabited 
by  Jews  under  the  Roman  dominion.6  A  few  Notitia 
of  ecclesiastical  and  other  writers,  which  mention 
Ailah,  refer  also  to  this  period.7  But  when  in  A.  D. 
630,  Muhammed  had  carried  his  victorious  arms  north¬ 
ward  as  far  as  to  Tebfd^,  it  was  the  signal  for  the  Chris¬ 
tian  communities  of  Arabia  Petraea  to  submit  volunta¬ 
rily  to  the  conqueror,  and  obtain  peace  by  the  payment 


1)  However  different  the  names 
el-Ghudy&n  and  Ezion  may  be  in 
appearance,  yet  the  letters  in  Ara¬ 
bic  and  Hebrew  all  correspond. 
The  name  ’ Asyun  mentioned  by 
Makrizi,  (as  quoted  by  Burckhardt, 
p.  511,)  seems  merely  to  refer  to 
the  ancient  city,  of  which  he  had 
heard  or  read. — Schubert  suggests 
that  the  little  island  Kureiyeh  may 
have  been  the  site  of  Ezion-geber ; 
but  this,  as  we  have  seen,  is  merely 


a  small  rock  in  the  sea,  300  yards 
long.  Reise,  etc.  II.  p.  379. 

2)  2  Kings  xiv.  22.  xvi.  6. 

3)  Cellarius  Notit.  Orb.  II.  p.582, 
seq.  Reland  Palaestina,  p.  554,  seq. 

4)  Hieron.  Onomast.  art.  Ailath. 
Theodoret  Quaest.  in  Jer.  xlix. 

5)  Le  Q.uien  Oriens  Christ.  III. 
p.  759.  Reland  Pal.  p.  556. 

6)  Procop.  de  Bell.  Pers.  I.  19. 

7)  See  these  collected  in  Re- 
land’s  Palaest.  pp.  215 — 230. 


252 


’AKABAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


of  tribute.  Among  these  was  John,  the  Christian  ruler 
of  Ailali,  who  became  bound  to  pay  an  annual  tribute 
of  three  hundred  gold  pieces.1 

From  this  time  onward,  Ailali  became  lost  under 
the  shroud  of  Muhammedan  darkness ;  from  which  it 
has  fully  emerged  only  during  the  present  century.  It 
is  simply  mentioned  by  the  supposed  Ibn  Haukal  per¬ 
haps  in  the  eleventh  century ;  and  after  the  middle  of 
the  twelfth,  Edrisi  describes  it  as  a  small  town 
frequented  by  the  Arabs,  who  were  now  its  masters, 
and  forming  an  important  point  in  the  route  between 
Cairo  and  Medineh.2  In  A.  D.  1116  King  Baldwin  I. 
of  Jerusalem  with  two  hundred  followers  made  an  ex¬ 
cursion  to  the  Red  Sea;  took  possession  of  Ailali 
which  he  found  deserted  ;  and  was  restrained  from 
advancing  to  Sinai  only  by  the  entreaties  of  the  monks.3 
It  was  again  wrested  from  the  hands  of  the  Christians 
by  Saladin  in  A.  D.  1167,  and  never  again  fully  re¬ 
covered  by  them;  although  the  reckless  Rainald  of 
Chatillon  in  A.  D.  1182  seized  upon  the  town  for  a 
time,  and  laid  .siege  unsuccessfully  to  the  fortress  in 
the  sea.4  In  Abulfeda’s  day,  and  before  A.  D.  1300, 
it  was  already  deserted ;  for  this  writer  expressly  says 
of  Ailali :  “  In  our  day  it  is  a  fortress,  to  which  a 
governor  is  sent  from  Egypt.  It  had  a  small  castle  in 
the  sea  ;  but  this  is  now  abandoned,  and  the  governor 
removed  to  the  fortress  on  the  shore.”5  Such  as  Ailali 
was  in  the  days  of  Abulfeda,  is  ’Akabah  now.  Mounds 

1)  Abulfedae  Annales  Mus-  II.  p.  403.  See  also  p.  187  above. — 
lemici,  ed.  Adler,  1789.  Tom.  I.  The  historians  of  the  crusades 
p.  171.  Ritter  Gesch.  des  Petr.  call  the  place  Helim ,  and  mistook 
Arab,  in  Abhandl  der  Berl.  Acad.  it  for  the  Elim  of  Scripture. 

1826,  Hist.  phil.  Cl.  p.  219.  4)  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kreuzz. 

2)  Ouseley’s  Ebn  Haukal,  pp.  III.  ii.  pp.  139,  222. 

37,  41.  Edrisi,  ed.  Jaubert,  Tom.  5)  Abulfedae  Arabia,  in  Geogr. 
I.  pp.  328,  332.  vet.  Scriptores  min.  ed.  Hudson, 

3)  Fulcher.  Carnot.  43.  Gesta  Oxon.  1712,  Tom.  III.  p.  41. 

Dei,  p.  611.  Will.  Tyr.  XI.  29.  Schultens  Index  Geogr.  in  Yit. 

Comp.  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kreuzz.  Saladini,  art.  Allah. 


Sec.  IV.] 


AILAH. 


253 


of  rubbish  alone  mark  the  site  of  the  town ;  while  a 
fortress,  as  we  have  seen,  occupied  by  a  governor  and 
a  small  garrison  under  the  Pasha  of  Egypt,  serves  to 
keep  the  neighbouring  tribes  of  the  desert  in  awe,  and 
to  minister  to  the  wants  and  protection  of  the  annual 
Egyptian  Haj.  Shaw  and  Niebuhr  only  heard  of 
’Akabah ;  Seetzen  and  Burckhardt  attempted  in  vain 
to  reach  it;  and  the  first  Frank  who  has  visited  it 
personally  in  modern  times,  was  Riippell  in  A.  D.  1822.J 
For  the  last  ten  years,  there  has  been  no  lack  of 
European  visitors. 

The  modern  name  ’Akabah,  signifying  a  descent 
or  steep  declivity,  is  derived  from  the  long  and  diffi¬ 
cult  descent  of  the  Haj -route  from  the  western  moun¬ 
tain.  This  pass  is  called  by  Edrisi  ’ Akabat  Allah?  It 
is  sometimes  also  termed  el-’Akabah  el-Musriyeh,  the 
Egyptian  ’Akabah,  in  distinction  from  el-’Akabah  esh- 
Shamiyeh  or  the  Syrian  ’Akabah,  a  similar  pass  on 
the  route  of  the  Syrian  Haj  about  a  day’s  journey  east¬ 
ward  from  this  end  of  the  Red  Sea.3 

Ailah  or  ’Akabah  has  always  been  an  important 
station  upon  the  route  of  the  Egyptian  Haj ;  the  great 
caravan  of  pilgrims  which  annually  leaves  Cairo  for 
Mecca.  Such  indeed  is  the  importance  of  this  caravan 
both  in  a  religious  and  political  respect,  that  the  rulers 
of  Egypt  from  the  earliest  period  have  given  it  convoy 
and  protection.  For  this  purpose,  a  line  of  fortresses 
similar  to  that  of  ’Akabah  has  been  established  at  in¬ 
tervals  along  the  route ;  with  wells  of  water,  and  sup¬ 
plies  of  provision  for  the  pilgrims  of  the  Haj.  At  these 


1)  Shaw’s  Travels,  4to,  p.  321. 
Niebuhr’s  Beschr.  von  Arab.  p.  400. 
Seetzen  in  Zach’s  Monatl.  Cor- 
resp.  XXVII.  p.  65.  Burckhardt’s 
Travels,  etc.  p.  508.  Rtippell’s 
Reisen  in  Nubien,  etc.  p.  248. 

2)  Edrisi  Geogr.  Clim.  III.  §  5. 


p.  1 ;  or  Tom.  I.  p.  332,  ed.  Jaubert. 
The  assertion  of  Niebuhr,  that 
’Akabah  is  also  called  1 Idle  by  the 
Bedawin,  I  must  regard  as  doubt¬ 
ful  ;  Beschr.  von  Arab.  p.  400. 

3)  Burckhardt’s  Travels,  etc. 
p.  658. 


254 


’AKABAH. 


[Sec.  IV. 


castles  the  caravan  regularly  stops,  usually  for  two 
days.  The  first  fortress  on  the  route  is  7 Ajrud ;  the 
second  Nukhl  on  the  high  desert  North  of  Jebel  et-Tih ; 
the  third  ’Akabah  ;  and  a  fourth  at  Muwreilih  or  Mawa- 
lih,  on  the  coast  of  the  Red  Sea  outside  of  the  entrance 
of  the  Gulf  of  ’Akabah.  From  ’Akabah  the  route  fol¬ 
lows  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Gulf  a  long  day’s  journey 
to  Hakl.  In  this  part  the  road  leads  around  a  pro¬ 
montory,  where  the  space  between  the  mountain  and 
the  sea  is  so  narrow,  that  only  one  camel  can  pass  at 
a  time.  It  is  considered  very  dangerous.  Before  reach¬ 
ing  Hakl  there  is  also  a  place  with  palm-trees  called 
Daher  el-Humr.  At  Hakl  the  route  leaves  the  shore, 
and  passing  through  the  mountains  that  here  skirt  the 
Gulf,  continues  along  the  eastern  side  of  them  to  Mu- 
weilih.  Further  than  this,  none  of  the  Arabs  we  met 
with  were  acquainted  with  the  road. 

In  the  intervals  between  these  fortresses,  there  are 
certain  regular  stations  or  halting-places,  often  without 
water,  where  the  caravan  stops  for  a  shorter  time  for 
rest  and  refreshment.  The  various  tribes  of  Bedawin 
through  whose  territory  the  route  passes,  are  held  res¬ 
ponsible  for  its  safety  between  certain  fixed  points. 
They  have  the  prescriptive  right  of  furnishing  a  convoy 
or  escort  for  the  Haj  during  its  march  between  those 
points ;  and  most  of  them  receive  for  this  service  a  cer¬ 
tain  amount  of  toll  from  the  caravan.1 

1)  A  list  of  the  fourteen  sta-  route  allotted  for  convoy  to  the 
lions  of  the  Haj,  as  far  as  to  Mu-  different  Arab  tribes,  is  given  in 
weilih,  as  also  the  parts  of  the  Note  XX,  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 


SECTION  V. 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 

Thursday ,  April  5th,  1838.  Afternoon.  Having 
at  last  made  all  our  arrangements,  we  left  the  castle 
of  ’Akabah  at  a  quarter  past  1  o’clock  P.  M.,  and  were 
as  happy  as  any  Bedawin  to  be  in  the  desert  again. 
From  ’Akabah  two  roads  lead  across  the  western  de¬ 
sert  towards  Gaza  or  Hebron;  one  said  to  be  difficult, 
passing  along  the  ’Arabali  for  some  distance,  and  as¬ 
cending  the  western  mountain  further  North ;  the 
other  following  the  Haj -route  to  the  top  of  the  western 
ascent,  and  then  striking  off  across  the  desert  to  the 
right.  We  took  the  latter  as  the  easiest.  Instead  of 
one  guide,  we  now  found  we  had  two ;  both  of  them 
’Amran  dependants  on  the  castle  and  born  in  its  vici¬ 
nity.  They  were  instructed  by  the  governor  in  our 
presence  to  conduct  us  in  safety  as  far  as  to  Wady  el- 
Abyad,  near  the  fork  of  the  roads  to  Gaza  and  Hebron. 
The  eldest  was  called  Salim  ;  both  were  tolerably 
intelligent ;  but  they  were  dark  thievish  looking  fel¬ 
lows,  not  to  be  compared  with  our  Tawarah. 

Our  course  lay  along  the  head  of  the  Gulf  on  the 
Haj-road  by  which  we  had  come  yesterday.  At  2h 
40'  we  reached  the  foot  of  the  western  ascent,  where 
the  hills  of  conglomerate,  which  we  had  passed  yes¬ 
terday  further  South,  sink  down  into  a  steep  slope  of 
gravel,  extending  far  to  the  North.  This  we  ascended 
about  W.  N.  W.  and  at  3h  25'  crossed  the  shallow  W ady 


256 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


Khurmet  el-Jurf,  which  runs  down  towards  the  right ; 
and  then  came  among  low  hills  of  crumbled  granite. 
Beyond  these  there  is  again  an  open  gravel  slope  in 
some  parts,  before  reaching  the  higher  granite  cliffs. 
At  4  o’clock  we  encamped  on  the  side  of  the  moun¬ 
tain,  in  a  narrow  branch  of  the  same  water-course, 
called  Wady  edh-Dliaiyikah. 

From  this  elevated  spot  we  had  a  commanding 
view  out  over  the  Gulf,  the  plain  of  el-’Arabah,  and 
the  mountains  beyond.  The  castle  bore  from  this 
point  S.  E.  by  E.  Behind  it  rose  the  high  mountain 
el-Ashhab  ;  and  back  of  this,  out  of  sight,  is  el-His- 
meh,  a  sandy  tract  surrounded  by  mountains.  But  no 
one  of  our  guides  knew  this  latter  name  as  a  general 
appellation  for  these  mountains.1  At  the  S.  end  of 
Ashhab,  the  small  Wady  Elteit  comes  down  to  the 
sea,  having  in  it  the  ruin  Kusr  el-Bedawy,  hearing 
from  here  S.  40°  E.  More  to  the  S.  the  hills  along  the 
eastern  coast  are  lower,  having  the  appearance  of 
table-land;  while  further  hack  are  high  mountains, 
and  among  them  the  long  ridge  en-Nukeirah.  These 
extend  far  to  the  South,  and  there  take  the  place  of 
the  lower  hills  along  the  coast.  North  of  the  castle 
the  large  Wady  el-Ithm  comes  down  steeply  from  the 
N.  E.  through  the  mountains ;  forming  the  main 
passage  from  ’  Akabah  to  the  eastern  desert.  By  this 
way  doubtless  the  Israelites  ascended  from  the  Red 
Sea  in  order  to  “compass  Edom,”  and  pass  on  to  Moab 
and  the  Jordan.  Wady  el-Xthm  now  bore  E.  1 0  S.  while 
a  mountain  further  North  called  Jebel  el-Ithm  bore 
E.  1°  N.  Then  a  smaller  Wady  comes  down  named 
es-Sidr.  To  the  northward  of  this  was  Jebel  esh-Sha’- 


1)  See  Burckhardt,  pp.  433,  440.  been  spoken  of  as  T ur  Hismeh ;  as 
Yet  the  mountains  adjacent  to  this  appears  also  from  Burckhardt,  p. 
tract  may  not  improbably  have  444.  Laborde,  p.  63.  (218.) 


Apr.  6.] 


ASCENT  OF  THE  PASS. 


257 


feh,  N.  70°  E. ;  and  still  further  North  our  guides  pro¬ 
fessed  to  point  out  Jebel  esh-Sherah,  bearing  N.  50° 
E.  and  separated  from  esh-Sha’feh  by  Wady  Ghurun- 
del.  On  this  point,  however,  we  had  doubts. 

Friday ,  April  6th.  The  bright  morning  presented 
a  beautiful  view  of  the  sea,  shut  in  among  mountains 
like  a  lake  of  Switzerland.  The  eastern  mountains 
too  glittered  in  the  sun ;  line,  lofty,  jagged  peaks,  much 
higher  than  those  we  were  to  climb.  We  set  off  at 
6  o’clock,  ascending  W.  N.  W.  We  soon  reached  the 
granite  hills,  and  entering  among  them  over  a  low 
ridge,  descended  a  little  to  the  small  W ady  er-Rizkah 
at  6h  25'.  It  flows  to  the  left  into  the  Musry,  within 
sight  a  little  below.  Passing  another  slight  ridge,  we 
reached  Wady  el -Musry  at  6|  o’clock.  This  is  a  large 
Wady  coming  down  from  the  North  obliquely  along  the 
slope  of  the  mountain,  and  running  down  by  itself  to 
the  sea,  which  it  was  said  to  enter  just  N.  of  Ras  el- 
Musry.  Our  route  now  lay  up  along  this  valley,  wind¬ 
ing  considerably,  but  on  a  general  course  about  N.  W. 
The  ridge  upon  the  left  was  of  yellow  sandstone  rest¬ 
ing  on  granite ;  while  on  the  right  was  granite  and 
porphyry.  The  scenery  around  was  wild,  desolate  and 
gloomy ;  though  less  grand  than  we  had  seen  already. 
At  7  o’clock  limestone  appeared  on  the  left ;  and  we 
turned  short  from  the  Musry  towards  the  left,  into  a 
narrow  chasm  between  walls  of  chalk  with  layers  of 
flint.  Ten  minutes  now  brought  us  to  the  foot  of  the 
steep  and  difficult  ascent;  so  that  this  last  ravine 
might  well  be  termed  the  Gate  of  the  Pass.  The  ascent 
is  called  simply  en-Nukb,  or  el-’Arkub,  both  signifying 
“the  Pass”  up  a  mountain;  and  our  guides  knew  no 
other  name.  The  road  rises  by  zigzags  along  the 
projecting  point  of  a  steep  ridge,  between  two  deep 
ravines.  It  is  in  part  artificial;  and  in  some  places  the 
thin  layer  of  sandstone  has  been  cut  away  twenty  or 
Vol.  I.  33 


258 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


thirty  feet  in  width  down  to  the  limestone  rock.  Por¬ 
tions  of  this  work  have  probably  been  done  at  the  ex¬ 
pense  of  pious  Mussulmans,  to  facilitate  the  passage  of 
the  Haj.  Two  Arabic  inscriptions  on  the  rock,  one  of 
them  at  the  top  of  the  ascent,  apparently  record  the  au¬ 
thor  of  the  work.  Near  the  top  is  something  like  a 
modern  improvement;  a  new  road  having  been  cut 
lower  down  on  the  side  of  the  ridge,  rising  by  a  more 
gradual  ascent.  The  whole  road  is  said  by  Makrizi 
to  have  been  first  made  by  Ibn  Ahmed  Ibn  Tulun, 
Sultan  of  Egypt  in  A.  D.  868-84.1 

We  reached  the  top  of  the  steep  ascent  at  8  o’clock ; 
but  continued  to  rise  gradually  for  half  an  hour  longer, 
when  we  came  to  Ras  en-Nukb,  the  proper  “  Head 
of  the  Pass.”  Here  however  we  had  immediately  to 
descend  again  by  a  short  but  steep  declivity,  and  cross 
the  head  of  Wady  el-Kureikireh  running  off  S.  to  Wady 
Taba’,  of  which  it  would  seem  to  be  a  main  branch. 
Ascending  again  along  a  ridge  at  the  head  of  this 
valley,  still  on  a  course  W.  N.  W.,  we  had  on  our  right 
a  deep  ravine  called  Wady  er-Riddadeh,  running  east¬ 
ward,  a  tributary  of  the  Musry.  At  9  o’clock  wTe  finally 
reached  the  top  of  the  whole  ascent,  and  found  our¬ 
selves  on  the  high  level  of  the  desert  above.  During 
the  whole  way,  we  had  many  commanding  views  of  the 
Gulf  and  of  el-’Arabah ;  which  latter  as  seen  from  this 
distance  seemed  covered  in  parts  with  a  luxuriant  vege¬ 
tation.  But  we  had  viewed  it  too  closely  to  be  thus 
deceived.  The  point  where  we  now  were,  afforded 
the  last,  and  one  of  the  finest  of  these  views.  The 
castle  of  ’Akabah  still  bore  S.  E.  by  E.  and  the  mouth 
of  Wady  el-Ithm  E.  by  S.  At  9h  25we  came  to  the  fork 
of  the  roads,  called  Mufarik  et-Turk,  where  the  Haj- 
route  keeps  straight  forward,  while  the  road  to  Gaza 


1)  Makrizi,  as  cited  by  Burckhardt,  p.  511. 


Apr.  6.] 


HIGH  WESTERN  DESERT. 


259 


turns  more  to  the  right.  The  former,  so  far  as  we  had  now 
followed  it,  hears  every  mark  of  a  great  public  route. 
This  pass  is  especially  famous  for  its  difficulty,  and  for 
the  destruction  which  it  causes  to  animals  of  burden. 
Indeed  the  path  is  here  almost  literally  strewed  with 
camels’  hones,  and  skirted  with  the  graves  of  pilgrims. 

Having  thus  reached  the  level  of  the  great  western 
desert,  we  left  the  Haj-road,  and  setting  our  faces 
towards  Gaza  and  Hebron,  on  a  course  N.  W.  we 
launched  forth  into  the  “  great  and  terrible  wilderness.” 
We  entered  immediately  upon  an  immense  plain,  called 
Ka’a  en-Nukb,  extending  far  to  the  West,  and  appa¬ 
rently  on  so  dead  a  level,  that  water  would  hardly 
flow  along  its  surface.  It  has,  however,  as  we  found, 
a  slight  declivity  towards  the  W.  and  N.  W. ;  for  on 
our  left  was  the  commencement  of  a  shallow  Wady 
called  el-Khureity,  running  off  in  that  direction.  The 
plain,  where  we  entered  upon  it,  was  covered  with 
black  pebbles  of  flint ;  then  came  a  tract  of  indurated 
eartji;  and  afterwards  again  similar  pebbles.  The 
whole  plain  was  utterly  naked  of  vegetation.  The 
desert  however  could  not  be  said  to  be  pathless  ;  for 
the  many  camel-tracks  showed  that  we  were  on  a 
great  road.  One  of  the  first  objects  which  here  struck 
our  view,  was  the  Mirage ,  presenting  the  appearance 
of  a  beautiful  lake  on  our  left.  We  had  not  seen  this 
phenomenon  in  the  whole  peninsula,  nor  since  the  day 
we  left  Suez ;  and  I  do  not  remember  that  we  ever 
again  had  an  instance  of  it. 

On  this  high  plain,  we  now  found  ourselves  above 
all  the  peaks  and  hills  through  which  we  had  just 
before  ascended.  We  could  overlook  them  all,  and 
saw  beyond  them  the  summits  of  the  eastern  moun¬ 
tains,  which  the  level  of  the  plain,  on  which  we  were, 
seemed  to  strike  at  about  two  thirds  of  their  altitude. 
From  this  and  other  circumstances,  we  judged  the 


260 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


elevation  of  this  plain  to  be  about  fifteen  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  Gulf  and  el-’Arabah.1  Far  in 
the  South,  ridges  of  high  land  were  visible ;  and  nearer 
at  band,  at  the  distance  of  three  or  four  hours,  a  range 
of  high  bills  called  Tawarif  el-Belad  running  from  E. 
S.  E.  to  W.  N.  W.  the  middle  of  which  at  9^  o’clock 
bore  S.  W.  Further  to  the  right  lay  a  similar  ridge, 
called  Turf  er-Rukn,  running  in  a  direction  about  from 
S.  S.  E.  to  N.  N.  W.  and  highest  towards  the  northern 
end,  which  bore  at  the  same  time  N.  70°  W.  The 
Haj -route  passes  along  at  the  northern  base  of  this 
range ;  and  S.  W.  of  it  is  the  well  eth-Themed,  from 
which  water  is  obtained  for  the  caravan.2 

The  plain  we  were  crossing  was  terminated  in  this 
part  towards  the  N.  by  a  ridge  of  low  dark-coloured 
granite  hills,  running  off  W.  S.  W.  which  we  reached 
at  11  o’clock.  This  ridge,  a  similar  one  beyond,  and 
the  tract  between,  all  bear  the  name  of  el-Humeira- 
wat.  Passing  through  these  hills,  our  course  became 
N.  N.  W.  for  the  remainder  of  the  day.  We  now 
crossed  another  open  plain,  having  at  some  distance 
on  our  left  Wady  el-Khureity.  In  some  of  the  smaller 
water-courses  were  a  few  herbs  and  some  Seyal-trees. 
We  passed  the  next  range  of  hills  before  noon ;  and 
from  it  descended  to  Wady  el-Khumileh  at  12h  10',  a 
broad  shallow  depression  coming  from  the  right  from 
near  the  brow  of  el-’Arabah,  and  full  of  herbs  and 
shrubs.  Towards  the  left  a  wide  open  tract  of  the 


1)  Accordingto  the  barometrical 
measurements  of  Russegger,  who 
crossed  the  desert  from  the  Con¬ 
vent  to  Hebron  a  few  months  after 
us,  the  elevation  of  the  castle 
Nukhl  above  the  sea  is  1496  Paris 
feet.  This  point  is  probably  some¬ 
what  lower  than  the  plain  in  ques¬ 
tion.  See  Berghaus’  Annalen  der 
Erdkunde,  etc.  Feb.  und  Marz, 
1839.  p.  429. 


2)  Burckhardt’s  Travels  in  Sy¬ 
ria,  etc.  p.  448.  This  mountain  is 
the  Dharf  el-Rokob  of  that  travel¬ 
ler  ;  but  although  we  inquired 
much  after  this  name,  we  could 
not  make  it  out  in  this  form.  His 
guides  were  from  the  desert  E.  of 
the  ’Arabah,  and  had  perhaps  ano¬ 
ther  name  or  a  different  pronunci¬ 
ation.  Ruppell  gives  it  very  cor¬ 
ruptly  the  form  Darfureck. 


Apr.  6.]  HIGH  WESTERN  DESERT.  261 

desert  extended  beyond  the  northern  extremity  of 
Turf  er-Rukn ;  and  through  this  plain  runs  Wady 
Mukutta’  et-Tawarik  after  having  received  the  Khu- 
reity  and  other  Wadys.  The  Mukutta’  runs  on 
northwesterly  to  join  the  Jerafeh,  which  was  continu¬ 
ally  spoken  of  as  the  great  drain  of  all  this  part  of  the 
desert.  The  Khumileh  continued  for  a  time  parallel 
to  our  route.  The  smaller  Wadys  were  now  full  of 
herbs,  and  gave  to  the  plain  the  appearance  of  a  toler¬ 
able  vegetation,  indicating  that  more  rain  had  fallen 
here  than  further  South  in  the  peninsula.  Far  in  the 
W.  N.  W.  ridges  apparently  of  limestone  hills  were 
visible,  running  from  S.  to  N.  At  12J  o’clock  a  small 
Wady  called  el-Erta  crossed  our  path  from  the  right 
and  joined  the  Khumileh.  A  low  limestone  ridge  now 
lay  before  us,  which  we  crossed  through  a  gap  at  half 
past  one  ;  and  came  upon  the  broad  sandy  Wady  or 
rather  plain  el-’Adhbeh,  descending  towards  the  left. 
On  the  northern  side  of  this  latter  we  encamped  at  3 
o’clock,  not  far  from  the  foot  of  another  similar  ridge. 
From  this  point  the  high  northern  end  of  Turf  er-Rukn 
bore  S.  60°  W. 

The  weather  had  been  all  day  cold,  with  a  strong 
North  wind ;  it  was  indeed  the  most  wintry  day  1  had 
experienced  since  entering  Egypt.  Our  Arabs  were 
shivering  with  the  cold,  and  this  induced  us  to  encamp 
so  early.  They  kindled  large  blazing  lires ;  and  at 
night,  as  they  sat  around  them,  the  light  flashing  upon 
their  swarthy  features  and  wild  attire,  the  scene  was 
striking  and  romantic.  The  camels,  like  their  masters, 
crouched  and  crowded  around  the  fires,  and  added  to 
the  picturesque  effect  of  the  scene. 

The  general  character  of  the  desert  on  which  we 
had  now  entered,  is  similar  to  that  between  Cairo 
and  Suez, — vast  and  almost  unbounded  plains,  a  hard 
gravelly  soil,  irregular  ridges  of  limestone  hills  in  va- 


262 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


rious  directions,  the  Mirage,  and  especially  the  Wadys 
or  water-courses.  On  reaching  this  high  plateau,  we 
were  somewhat  surprised  to  find  all  these  Wadys  run¬ 
ning  towards  the  N.  W.  and  not  towards  the  East 
into  the  'Arab ah,  as  we  had  expected  from  its  near 
vicinity.  To  all  this  desert  our  Arabs  gave  the  gene¬ 
ral  name  of  et-Tih,  “Wandering,”  and  said  that  the 
mountain  ridge  which  skirts  it  on  the  South,  takes  the 
same  name  from  the  desert.1 

This  whole  region,  up  to  the  present  time,  has  been 
a  complete  terra  incognita  to  geographers.  Not  that 
travellers  had  not  already  crossed  it  in  various  direc¬ 
tions  ;  for  Seetzen  in  1807  had  gone  from  Hebron  to 
the  Convent  of  Sinai;  and  Henniker  in  1821,  and  Bo- 
nomi  and  Catherwood  and  their  party  in  1833,  had 
passed  from  the  Convent  to  Gaza.  Yet  there  exists 
only  a  meager  record  of  all  these  journies,  so  meager 
indeed,  that  the  respective  routes  can  with  difficulty  be 
traced.2  M.  Linant  was  said  also  to  have  visited  some 
parts  of  this  desert ;  but  has  given  no  report.  Burck- 
hardt  likewise  crossed  in  1812  from  Wady  Ghurundel 
and  the  ’  Arab  ah  to  Nukhl  and  ’Ajrud ;  but  his  notes 
are  here  less  full  than  usual.  Riippell  in  1822  explored 
the  Haj-route  to  ?Akabah.3  Of  the  road,  therefore, 
which  we  were  now  to  travel,  there  was  no  report  ex¬ 
tant;  nor  was  I  aware  until  after  my  return  to  Europe, 
that  any  portion  of  it  had  been  followed  by  M.  Callier 
in  1834.4  We  felt,  consequently,  that  we  were  in  part 


1)  The  name  et-Tih  as  applied 
to  this  desert,  is  found  in  both 
Edrisi  and  Abulfeda  ;  who  refer  it 
to  the  wanderings  of  the  children 
of  Israel.  Edrisi  par  Jaubert,  I. 
p.  360.  Abulfed.  Tab.  Syr.  ed. 
Kohler,  p.  4,  et  Addenda.  So  too 
Ibn  el-Wardi,  ibid.  p.  170. 

2)  Seetzen  in  Zach’s  Monatl. 

Corresp.  XVII.  p.  143,  seq.  Hen- 

niker’s  Notes,  etc.  p.  256,  seq. 


Arundale’s  Tour  to  Jerusalem  and 
Mount  Sinai,  4to. — Arundale  trav¬ 
elled  in  company  with  Bonomi  and 
Catherwood. 

3)  Burckhardt’s  Travels,  etc.  p. 
444,  seq.  Ruppell’s  Reisen  in  Nu- 
bien,  etc.  p.  241. 

4)  See  his  Letter  to  Letronne, 
Journal  des  Savans,  Jan.  1836.  I 
am  not  aware  that  any  thing  fur¬ 
ther  has  yet  appeared. 


Apr.  7.] 


HIGH  WESTERN  DESERT. 


263 


treading  on  new  ground ;  and  although  we  expected 
to  make  no  discoveries,  (which  indeed  the  very  nature 
of  the  country  in  a  measure  forbade,)  yet  we  felt  it  to 
be  due  to  the  interests  of  science,  to  take  note  of  all 
that  offered  itself  to  our  observation.  On  similar 
grounds,  I  hope  to  be  pardoned  by  the  reader,  if  the 
account  of  this  journey  should  appear  perhaps  unne¬ 
cessarily  minute  and  tedious. 

To  us  the  journey  was  one  of  deep  interest.  It 
was  a  region  into  which  the  eye  of  geographical  sci¬ 
ence  had  never  yet  penetrated ;  and  which,  as  its 
name  implies,  was  supposed  to  be  the  scene  of  the 
wanderings  of  the  Israelites  of  old.  Our  feelings  were 
strongly  excited  at  this  idea  of  novelty,  and  with  the 
desire  of  exploring  this  “  great  wilderness so  as  to 
ascertain,  if  possible,  whether  there  was  any  thing 
here  to  throw  light  on  the  darkness  which  hitherto 
has  rested  on  this  portion  of  Scriptural  history.  How 
far  we  were  successful,  the  reader  will  learn,  not  from 
the  account  of  this  journey  alone,  but  from  this  in  con¬ 
nection  with  our  subsequent  excursion  from  Hebron 
to  Wady  Musa. 

Saturday ,  April  1th.  We  set  off  at  6h  10',  and 
continuing  N.  N.  W.  came  in  forty-five  minutes  to  the 
top  of  the  low  limestone  ridge  before  mentioned.  Here 
another  similar  prospect  opened  on  our  view.  Before 
us  lay  an  almost  level  plain,  covered  with  pebbles 
and  black  flints ;  beyond  which,  at  a  great  distance, 
a  lone  conical  mountain  appeared  directly  ahead,  at 
the  base  of  which,  it  was  said,  our  road  would  pass. 
This  mountain  is  called  Jebel  ’Araif  en-Nakah ;  and 
standing  almost  isolated  in  the  midst  of  the  desert,  it 
forms  a  conspicuous  landmark  for  the  traveller.  It 
here  bore  N.  by  W.,  and  our  course  was  directed  to¬ 
wards  it  for  the  remainder  of  the  day  with  little  devi¬ 
ation.  We  could  see  low  ridges  extending  from  it 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


both  on  the  eastern  and  western  sides.  That  towards 
the  East,  at  first  low,  becomes  afterwards  higher,  and 
terminates  at  the  eastern  end  in  a  bluff  called  el-Muk- 
rah.  This  latter  is  not  very  far  from  Wady  el-’Arabah, 
as  we  saw  at  a  later  period.  At  the  Toot  of  this  bluff, 
our  Arabs  said,  is  a  spring  of  good  living  water,  called 
esh-Shehabeh  or  Shehabiyeh. 

In  crossing  the  plain  above  mentioned,  we  had  on 
our  right  a  range  of  low  hills  running  from  S.  to  N. 
terminating  in  a  low  round  mountain  called  es-Suwei- 
keh,  which  at  8  o’clock  bore  N.  E.  \  E.,  and  again  at 
10  o’clock  E.  S.  E.  These  hills,  and  the  ascending 
slope  towards  the  brow  of  el-’Arabah,  prevented  our 
seeing  the  mountains  East  of  the  great  valley,  either 
now  or  afterwards,  except  occasionally,  and  then  very 
indistinctly.1  On  our  left  the  plain  extended  almost 
to  the  horizon,  where  a  low  range  of  mountains  (al¬ 
ready  mentioned)  run  northward  from  near  Turf  er- 
Rukn,  at  the  distance  of  six  or  eight  hours  from  our 
path.  For  these  our  Arabs  knew  no  other  name  than 
et-Tih.2  They  said,  this  range  formed  the  dividing 
line  between  the  desert  on  the  East,  drained  by  the 
Jerafeh,  which  runs  to  the  ’Arabah ;  and  the  more 
western  desert,  drained  by  the  great  Wady  el-’Arish 
running  down  to  the  Mediterranean. 

At  9h  10'  we  were  opposite  Suweikeh,  bearing 
E.,  and  twenty  minutes  later  crossed  Wady  el-Ghai- 
dherah,  here  coming  from  the  S.  W.  but  afterwards 
sweeping  round  to  the  N.  W.  and  again  crossing  our 
path  to  join  the  Jerafeh.  We  passed  it  the  second 
time  at  10h  40'  running  N.  W.,  where  it  continued  for 


1)  According  to  Burckhardt, 
Jebel  es-Suweikeh  lies  eight  hours 
or  more  distant  from  the  brow  of 
the  ’Arabah.  He  passed  at  the  dis¬ 
tance  of  two  hours  N.  of  this 
mountain,  on  a  course  towards 


Turf  er-Rukn.  Travels  in  Syria, 
etc.  pp.  444-8. 

2)  They  would  seem  to  be  the 
continuation  of  the  ridge  which 
further  south  Burckhardt  calls  el- 
Ojmeh;  p.449. 


Apr.  7.]  WATER.  WADY  JERAFEH.  265 

some  distance  on  the  left  parallel  to  our  road.  At  11  \ 
o’clock  we  found  in  it  near  our  path  a  small  pool  of 
rain-water  in  a  deep  gully.  It  is  one  of  the  chief 
watering-places  of  tlie  Arabs  in  these  parts ;  and  from 
the  number  of  camels  and  flocks,  which  come  here  to 
drink,  the  water  had  acquired  a  strong  smell,  and  was 
any  thing  hut  inviting.  Yet  as  we  had  found  no  water 
on  the  way,  nor  were  likely  to  meet  with  any  for  two 
or  three  days  to  come,  the  water-skins  were  filled 
amid  the  drinking  of  camels,  goats,  and  dogs.  W e  were 
thus  detained  three  quarters  of  an  hour.  This  kind 
of  puddle  is  called  Ghudhir.  A  few  tufts  of  grass 
were  growing  on  the  sides  of  the  pool,  the  second 
time  we  had  seen  grass  since  leaving  the  region  of  the 
Nile.  Several  very  old  TCilh-trees  were  also  scattered 
around.  We  found  here  a  few  Arabs  of  the  Haweitat, 
stragglers  from  the  party  which  had  passed  ’Akabah 
a  few  days  before.  They  had  charge  of  several  milch- 
camels  with  their  young ;  and  seemed  to  have  lingered 
behind  their  party  on  account  of  these.  We  were 
amused  at  the  staid  and  sober  demeanour  of  the  young 
camels.  Instead  of  the  frisky  playfulness  and  grace 
of  other  young  animals,  they  had  all  the  cold  gravity 
and  awkwardness  of  their  dams. — From  this  point  the 
cliff  el-Mukrah  bore  N.  N.  E. 

Leaving  the  pool  at  noon,  we  soon  saw  Wady  el- 
Jerafeh  upon  the  left,  with  many  low  trees,  running  for 
a  time  nearly  parallel  to  the  Ghaidherah.  The  two 
unite  not  far  below,  in  sight  of  the  road.  At  half  past 
one,  we  reached  the  Jerafeh,  here  coming  from  the  S. 
S.  W.  and  flowing  off  nearly  N.  E.  towards  el-’Arabah, 
which  it  enters  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  bluff  el-Muk¬ 
rah.  It  was  said  to  rise  far  to  the  South  near  the 
northern  ridge  of  Jebel  et-Tih,  and  passes  along  on 
the  eastern  side  of  the  ridge  Turf  er-Rukn,  apparently 
between  that  mountain  and  the  ridge  Tawarif  el- 

Belad;  receiving  on  the  East  all  the  Wadys  we  had 
Vol.  I.  34 


266 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


crossed,  and  others  in  like  manner  from  the  West.1 
Indeed  it  is  the  great  drain  of  all  the  long  basin  be¬ 
tween  the  ’Arabah  and  the  ridges  west  of  Turf  er- 
Rukn,  extending  from  Jebel  et-Tih  on  the  South 
to  the  ridge  between  Jebel  ’Araif  and  el-Mukrah  on 
the  North.  The  Jerafeh  exhibits  traces  of  a  large 
volume  of  water  in  the  rainy  season ;  and  is  full  of 
herbs  and  shrubs,  with  many  Seyal  and  Turfa-trees. 
At  some  distance  from  our  path  on  the  right,  rain¬ 
water  is  found  in  holes  dug  in  the  ground,  which  are 
called  Emshash.2  We  were  greatly  struck  at  the 
time  with  the  singular  conformation  of  this  region,  on 
the  supposition  that  all  the  waters  of  this  basin  should 
be  carried  so  far  to  the  North,  in  order  again  to  flow 
through  the  5  Arab  ah  southwards  to  the  Red  Sea.  We 
were  at  a  loss  to  conceive  how  this  could  well  take 
place,  without  leaving  more  traces  of  a  water-course 
in  the  latter  valley  near  ’Akabah.  It  was  not  until 
after  several  weeks  and  upon  a  different  journey,  that 
we  ascertained  the  real  circumstances  of  the  case. 

The  country  continued  still  of  the  same  character. 
At  3  o’clock  we  passed  Wady  el-Ghubey,  running  E. 
N.  E.  to  the  Jerafeh.  Another  tributary  of  the  same, 
Wady  Butlihat,  followed  half  an  hour  beyond.  In  this 
latter  on  the  right  of  the  road,  is  rain-water  collected 
in  pits  called  Themileh.  Another  half  hour  brought 
us  to  the  top  of  a  gravelly  ascent,  from  which  we  had 
a  view  of  a  more  broken  tract  of  country  before  us. 


1)  According  to  Lord  Prud- 
hoe’s  notes,  the  Jerafeh  is  five  and 
a  half  hours  from  Wady  Ghureir 
on  a  S.  E.  course.  From  Burck- 
hardt  it  appears  that  the  N.  end 
of  Turf  er-Rukn  is  three  and  a 
half  hours  eastward  of  the  same 
Wady  Ghureir  ;  pp.  448, 449.  Our 
map  is  constructed  according  to 
these  data;  but  exhibits  the  Jerafeh 
as  thus  making  a  very  large  bend 
towards  the  East.  There  may  be* 


doubts,  after  all,  whether  it  does 
not  pass  west  of  Turf  er-Rukn. 

2)  This  seems  to  be  the  place 
visited  by  Burckhardt ;  p.  447. 
The  Wady  Lehykneh  which  he 
mentions,  is  a  tributary  of  the  Je¬ 
rafeh,  entering  it  from  the  South, 
and  lying  wholly  to  the  right  of 
our  road.  The  other  route  from 
’Akabah  passes  along  it  for  some 
distance. 


Apr.  7.] 


SHOWERS. 


267 


Hitherto  the  desert  had  consisted  of  wide  plains,  often 
covered  with  pebbles  and  flints,  with  low  ridges  and 
few  undulations,  and  the  Wadys  slightly  depressed 
below  the  general  level.  The  whole  region  thus  far  was 
the  very  picture  of  barrenness ;  for  not  a  particle  of 
vegetation  exists  upon  it,  except  in  the  Wadys;  and 
in  these  we  had  found  the  herbage  and  the  few  trees 
increasing  as  we  advanced,  indicating  a  better  supply 
of  rain.  The  tract  now  before  us  was  more  uneven 
and  hilly  ;  and  the  vallies  deeper,  with  much  loose 
sand.  A  somewhat  steep  descent  brought  us  to  the 
broad  sandy  Wady  el-Ghudhaghidh,  which  drains  the 
remainder  of  this  region  between  the  Jerafeh  and  el- 
Mukrah,  and  carries  its  waters  eastward  to  the  Jerafeh. 
We  encamped  in  this  Wady  at  4f  o’clock,  near  its 
northern  side. 

The  weather  this  day  was  again  cold  and  cheer¬ 
less.  During  the  afternoon  several  showers  of  rain 
rose  from  the  S.  W.  and  W.  and  passed  along  the 
horizon  towards  Syria.  At  2\  o’clock  we  too  had  a 
considerable  shower,  and  several  slighter  ones  after¬ 
wards.  This  was  the  first  rain  of  any  consequence 
that  I  had  seen  since  leaving  Alexandria.  It  was 
grateful  to  us  in  itself;  and  also  as  showing  that  wTe 
were  approaching  Palestine,  where  the  latter  rains 
sometimes  continue  till  this  season,  and  usually  come 
from  the  S.  W. 

Our  guides  of  the  ’Amran  proved  to  be  a  very  dif¬ 
ferent  sort  of  men  from  our  Tawarah.  They  were 
lazy  good-for-nothing  fellows ;  and  we  soon  learned  to 
place  no  confidence  in  them,  nor  in  their  word,  except 
so  far  as  their  assertions  tallied  with  other  evidence. 
According  to  them,  none  of  the  ’Amran,  not  even  the 
Sheikhs,  know  how  to  read;  it  being  considered  dis¬ 
graceful  for  a  Bedawy  to  learn  to  read  ;  very  few  also 
know  how  to  pray.  The  ’Amran,  they  said,  are  divided 


268 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


into  five  clans,  viz.  el-Usbany,  el-Humeidy,  er-Rubi’y, 
el-Humady,  and  el  Fudhly.  The  present  head-Sheikh 
over  the  whole  is  named  el-Makbul.  None  of  the  tribe 
have  horses,  except  the  Sheikh ;  and  he  only  four  or 
five.  This  fact  shows  that  their  country  is  a  desert.1 
The  ’Amran  and  Haweitat  are  leagued  tribes. — The 
right  of  pasturage  in  a  given  region  does  not  belong 
exclusively  to  the  tribe  inhabiting  the  tract ;  but  any 
foreign  tribe  that  chooses,  may  come  in  and  pasture, 
and  go  away  again,  without  asking  permission.  In 
this  way  bands  of  the  Haweitat  (as  we  had  seen)  were 
now  migrating  for  the  season  to  the  southern  borders 
of  Palestine. — If  any  one  steals,  the  loser  takes  from 
the  thief  an  article  of  equal  or  greater  value,  and  de¬ 
posits  it  with  a  third  person.  The  thief  is  then  sum¬ 
moned  to  trial ;  and  if  he  refuses,  he  forfeits  the  thing 
thus  taken  from  him.  The  judges  are  not  always  the 
Sheikhs ;  other  persons  may  exercise  this  office.  If  a 
person  slays  another,  the  nearest  relative  of  the  de¬ 
ceased  is  entitled  to  a  certain  number  of  camels,  or  to 
the  life  of  one  equal  to  the  deceased.2 

The  following  are  the  Wadys  and  springs  known 
to  our  guides,  running  down  into  el-’Arabah  from  the 
western  mountain.  They  are  all  small,  except  the 
Jerafeh  ;  and  all  the  fountains  are  living  water.  Be¬ 
ginning  from  the  South,  the  first  is  el-Hendis  with 
sweet  wTater;  then  el-Ghudydn  (Ezion?)  with  brackish 
water ;  esh-Sha’ib  with  a  road  ascending  through  it ; 
el-Beyaneh  with  the  most  direct  road  from  ’Akabah 
to  Gaza ;  el- Jerafeh  nearly  opposite  mount  Hor ;  el - 
Weiby ;  el-Khurar.  With  the  three  last  we  became 

1)  Horses  and  neat  cattle  re-  ascertain  the  nature  of  their  coun- 
quire  a  supply  of  water  and  fresh  try. 

pasturage.  Hence  by  inquiring  2)  Compare  the  similar  traits 
after  the  animals  which  a  tribe  of  law  among  the  Tawarah,  p. 
possessed,  we  were  always  able  to  208-10  above. 


Apr.  9.] 


SUNDAY.  NIGHT-ALARM. 


269 


better  acquainted  at  a  later  period ;  of  the  others  we 
learned  nothing  more. 

Sunday ,  April  8th.  We  remained  all  day  en¬ 
camped.  The  morning  was  clear  and  cold ;  the  cold¬ 
est  indeed  which  we  at  any  time  experienced;  the 
thermometer  having  fallen  at  sunrise  to  35°  F.  The 
day  became  also  windy ;  so  that  we  were  somewhat 
incommoded  in  our  tent  by  the  drifting  sand.  Our 
Arabs  had  a  visit  from  some  of  the  Haiwat,  who  are 
the  possessors  of  all  this  eastern  part  of  the  desert ; 
and  afterwards  from  several  of  the  party  of  the  Hawei- 
tat  whom  we  had  seen  the  day  before.  We  obtained 
from  them  earners  milk  for  our  tea,  and  found  it  richer 
and  better  than  that  of  goats. 

Our  Arabs  bought  of  their  visitors  a  kid,  which 
they  killed  as  a  “  redemption”  (Arabic  Fedu ),  in  order, 
as  they  said,  that  its  death  might  redeem  their  camels 
from  death  ;  and  also  as  a  sacrifice  for  the  prosperity 
of  our  journey.  With  the  blood  they  smeared  crosses 
on  the  necks  of  their  camels,  and  on  other  parts  of 
their  bodies.  Such  sacrifices  are  frequent  among 
them.  This  mark  of  the  cross  we  supposed  they  had 
probably  imitated  from  their  neighbours,  the  monks 
of  Sinai ;  or  perhaps  they  only  made  it  as  being  one 
of  the  simplest  marks. 

Monday ,  April  Qth.  Soon  after  retiring  to  rest 
last  night,  we  had  quite  a  little  alarm.  For  two  or 
three  days  a  lean  half-starved  Arab  dog,  probably  from 
the  Haiwat  or  Haweitat,  had  attached  himself  to  our 
caravan,  and  like  his  masters  was  particularly  atten¬ 
tive  to  Komeh  and  his  kitchen.  About  11  o’clock, 
when  I  was  already  sound  asleep,  this  dog,  himself 
half  wolf,  began  to  bark.  This  was  an  indication 
that  some  strange  person  or  animal  was  near  us ;  and 
we  remembered  the  barking  of  old  ’Aid’s  dog,  the 
night  before  Burckhardt  and  his  party  were  attacked 


270 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


by  robbers.  In  the  present  case  it  might  be  some 
prowling  hyaena  ;  or  some  of  our  visitors  of  yesterday, 
looking  around  for  an  opportunity  of  thieving ;  or  it 
might  be  also  a  party  of  armed  robbers  from  beyond 
the  ’Arabah.  We  had  heard  indeed  at  ’Akabah,  that 
two  tribes  of  that  region,  the  Beni  Sukhr  and  the 
Hejaya,  were  at  war  with  the  Arabs  of  the  desert  et- 
Tih,  often  committing  robberies  in  the  ’Arabah  itself, 
and  sometimes  extending  their  marauding  expeditions 
into  the  western  desert ;  and  it  was  not  impossible, 
that  we  might  now  be  threatened  with  a  visit  of  this 
nature.  Our  Arabs  were  evidently  alarmed.  They 
said,  if  thieves,  they  would  steal  upon  us  at  midnight; 
if  robbers,  they  would  come  down  upon  us  towards 
morning.  All  proposed  and  promised  to  watch  during 
the  whole  night ;  and  we  also  thought  it  best  to  sit  up 
in  turn.  But  we  heard  nothing  further;  and  the 
morning  found  us  undisturbed.  One  of  our  ’Amran 
guides  professed  afterwards  to  have  found  the  tracks 
of  a  hyaena  not  far  from  the  tent ;  or  the  alarm  may 
very  probably  have  proceeded  from  a  thief,  who  with¬ 
drew  at  the  barking  of  the  dog.  We  now  took  the 
poor  dog  into  more  favour ;  he  proved  a  faithful  guard, 
and  continued  with  us  all  the  way  to  Jerusalem.  But 
his  Bedawy  habits  were  too  strong  to  be  overcome ; 
and  he  vanished  as  we  entered  the  city. 

We  were  again  upon  our  way  at  5|  o’clock,  as¬ 
cending  by  a  small  branch  Wady,  called  Raudh  el- 
Humarah,  through  a  tract  of  undulating  country,  of 
limestone  formation  like  all  this  desert,  and  covered 
with  black  flints  and  pebbles.  At  7  o’clock  we  came 
out  of  this  Wady  and  up  a  low  ascent  to  a  small  plain, 
crossing  the  heads  of  several  more  Rid/ian  or  dry 
brooks  of  the  same  name.  At  this  place,  two  or  three 
years  before,  a  robbery  had  been  committed  by  a  party 
of  the  Hejaya,  one  of  the  tribes  “  from  the  rising  sun,” 


Apr.  9.] 


WATER-SHED  OF  THE  DESERT. 


271 


on  a  caravan  of  the  ’Amran.  They  fell  upon  the 
caravan  as  it  was  encamped  at  night,  seizing  the  plun¬ 
der  and  taking  the  lives  of  one  of  two. 

Our  road  now  led  over  a  most  desert  tract  of  swell¬ 
ing  hills,  covered  in  like  manner  with  black  flints ;  our 
course  being  still  N.  by  W.  towards  Jebel  ’Araif.  At 
7h  20'  the  cliff  el-Mukrah  bore  N.  E.  while  the  west¬ 
ern  end  of  its  high  ridge  bore  North.  Ten  minutes 
further  on,  the  road  from  ’Akabah  through  Wady  Be- 
yaneh  fell  into  ours  from  the  right.  At  7h  40'  we 
crossed  a  Wady  running  off  to  the  right  to  Wady  el- 
Ghudhaghidh  and  so  to  el-’Arabah.  Ascending  again 
slightly  to  a  small  plateau,  we  came  immediately  upon 
the  water-shed,  or  dividing  line  between  the  waters 
of  el-’Arabah  and  those  of  the  Mediterranean ;  the  for¬ 
mer  drained  off  by  the  Jerafeh,  and  the  latter  by  the 
great  Wady  el-’Arish.  At  no  great  distance  on  our 
left  were  low  chalky  cliffs  of  singular  form,  apparently 
spurs  from  the  ridges  we  had  before  seen  in  that  direc¬ 
tion.  Descending  a  little,  we  immediately  struck  and 
crossed  Wady  el-Haikibeh  at  8  o’clock,  here  running 
towards  the  N.  E.  but  sweeping  round  again  after¬ 
wards  to  the  N.  W.,  so  that  our  path  crossed  it  a 
second  time  after  three  quarters  of  an  hour.  It  is  full 
of  shrubs.  We  now  continued  along  its  side  N.  N.  W. 
until  a  quarter  past  nine  o’clock,  and  then  left  it 
running  to  join  the  Kureiyeh,  a  tributary  of  Wady 
el-’Arish.  Just  beyond  this  Wady  were  the  chalky 
cliffs  above  mentioned ;  and  as  we  left  them  behind, 
other  low  ridges  appeared  on  our  left  at  different  dis¬ 
tances  of  five,  ten,  or  fifteen  miles.  We  now  rode  over 
another  barren  flinty  tract,  with  a  few  small  Ridhan 
running  towards  the  Haikibeh.  In  some  spots  we 
found  very  small  tufts  of  grass  springing  up  among  the 
pebbles,  the  effect  of  recent  rains.  Our  guides  said, 
that  in  those  years  when  there  is  plenty  of  rain,  grass 


272  FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM.  [Sec.  V. 

springs  up  in  this  way  all  over  the  face  of  the  desert. 
In  such  seasons,  they  said,  the  Arabs  are  kings.  At 
10  o’clock  a  path  went  off  to  the  right  leading  to  some 
wells  of  sweet  water  called  el-Mayein,  lying  in  a 
direction  N.  by  E.  in  the  mountains  beyond  Jebel 
’Araif.  This  path  passes  to  the  right  of  ’Araif,  over 
the  low  part  of  the  ridge  extending  East  from  that 
mountain ;  and  falls  again  into  our  road  further  on. 

We  reached  Wady  el-Kureiyeh  at  10h  10',  coming 
down  from  near  the  ridge  of  el-Miikrah,  which  was 
now  not  far  off.  Here  a  round  mountain  on  our  left 
called  Jebel  Ikhrimm  bore  W.  by  N.  The  Kureiyeh 
bends  around  and  passes  at  the  northern  base  of  this 
hill ;  and  further  down,  about  half  a  day’s  journey 
from  the  point  where  we  crossed,  there  are  in  it  pits 
of  rain-water,  Emshash,  forming  a  station  on  the  great 
road  from  the  convent  to  Gaza. — Another  similar 
flinty  tract  now  succeeded,  called  Hemadet  et-’Anaz, 
over  which  our  course  was  N.  N.  W.  A  clayey  Wady 
called  Abu  Tin  followed  at  12h  50' ;  and  another,  the 
deep  bed  of  a  torrent,  el-Khiiraizeh,  at  half  past  one ; 
both  running  S.  W.  into  the  Kureiyeh.  The  country 
now  became  open  quite  to  the  base  of  Jebel  ’Araif  en- 
JVakah,  which  had  so  long  been  our  landmark.  The 
mountain  is  of  a  conical  form,  five  or  six  hundred  feet 
high,  consisting  of  limestone  thickly  strewed  with 
flints.  At  a  distance  it  seems  wholly  isolated;  the 
low  ridges,  which  extend  from  it  E.  and  W.  being 
there  overlooked.  That  on  the  E.,  as  has  been  said 
already,  connects  with  higher  ridges  further  on,  and 
terminates  in  the  bluff  el-Miikrah ;  while  that  on  the 
W.  continues  lower  and  more  broken.  The  ’Araif 
forms  a  striking  object,  as  thus  seen  in  the  middle  of 
the  mighty  waste.  It  is  indeed  a  huge  bulwark,  ter¬ 
minating  the  open  desert  on  this  part,  and  forming  the 
outwork  or  bastion  of  a  more  mountainous  tract  be- 


Apr.  9.] 


WADY  EL-MAYEIN. 


273 


yond. — At  2\  o’clock  a  Wady  came  down  directly 
from  the  mountain,  (here  half  an  hour  or  more  distant,) 
bearing  the  same  name,  ’Araif,  and  passing  on  W.  S. 
W.  to  the  Kureiyeh.  Under  one  of  its  low  banks  the 
corpse  of  a  man  had  been  recently  half-buried,  and  a 
few  stones  placed  around ;  some  of  the  toes  and  a  few 
rags  were  visible;  and  our  Arabs  said  the  hyaenas 
wTould  soon  devour  the  body. 

Proceeding  on  the  same  course  N.  N.  W.  we  came 
at  3  o’clock  to  the  top  of  the  low  ridge,  running  out 
W.  from  Jebel  ’Araif.  Here  we  could  look  back  over 
the  desert  tract  we  had  just  crossed,  bounded  on  the 
S.  by  low  hills  at  a  great  distance,  the  whole  of  it 
drained  by  the  Kureiyeh  into  Wady  el-’Arish.  Before 
us  was  another  plain,  extending  into  the  mountains 
towards  the  right  and  bounded  on  the  N.  by  a  line  of 
higher  hills  about  two  hours  distant.  From  this  point 
in  our  road,  Jebel  ’Araif  bore  N.  70°  E.  about  a  mile 
distant.  Jebel  Ikhrimm  bore  W.  being  separated  from 
the  ridge  on  which  we  stood  only  by  Wady  el-Kurei- 
yeh.  At  a  much  greater  distance  in  the  W.  N.  W. 
appeared  a  high  and  longer  mountain  called  Yelek; 
and  more  to  the  right,  about  N.  N.  W.  another  called 
el-Helal.  Both  these  last  were  said  to  be  beyond 
Wady  el-’Arish. 

A  short  and  steep  descent  now  brought  us  in  ten 
minutes  to  the  bed  of  Wady  el-Mayein  or  el  Ma'ein, 
which  flowing  along  the  northern  base  of  Jebel  ’Araif 
and  the  ridge  further  West  goes  to  unite  with  the  Ku¬ 
reiyeh.  It  has  its  head  far  up  among  the  mountains 
on  the  right ;  and  in  it  are  the  wells  of  the  same  name 
already  mentioned.  Its  bed  bears  evident  traces  of  a 
large  volume  of  water ;  and  the  flat  plain  beyond  is 
much  cut  up  by  its  torrents.  The  bed  of  the  Wady 
and  the  adjacent  part  of  the  plain  are  covered  with 
stones,  some  quite  large,  apparently  brought  down  by 
Vol.  I.  35 


274 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


the  waters  from  the  mountains.  Crossing  the  plain 
on  a  course  N.  we  encamped  at  half  past  4  o’clock  at 
the  foot  of  the  line  of  hills  which  hound  it  on  this  side; 
Jebel  ’Araif  bearing  from  our  tent  S.  55°  E.  in  full 
view,  about  three  miles  distant.  On  this  plain  comes 
in  the  road  from  the  Convent  to  Gaza,  which  passes 
by  ’Ain  and  eth-Themed. — Our  tent  was  pitched  near 
a  shallow  water-course  running  off  to  Wady  el-Mayein, 
full  of  herbs  and  shrubs  like  most  of  the  Wadys  we 
had  passed,  and  affording  fine  pasture  for  the  camels. 
Among  the  shrubs  of  the  desert,  the  Retem  or  broom 
was  particularly  abundant,  and  of  a  larger  size  than 
we  had  before  seen  it. 

We  had  now  left  the  country  of  the  Haiwat,  and 
entered  that  of  the  southern  Tiyahah.  Here  too  ends 
the  region  or  desert  of  the  Tih,  through  which  we  had 
been  travelling  ever  since  we  left  the  ’Arabah.  The 
territory  of  the  Haiwat  commences,  as  we  have  seen, 
at  the  northern  ridge  of  Jebel  et-Tih ;  and  extends 
northwards  along  and  adjacent  to  the  ’Arabah  as  far 
as  to  the  mountains  ’Araif  and  el-Mukrah  ;  where  the 
high  ridge  between  rises  like  a  wall  and  forms  a  boun¬ 
dary  on  this  side.  On  the  West  of  this  tribe  lies  the 
country  of  the  Tiyahah,  also  extending  from  Jebel  et- 
Tih  through  the  middle  of  the  desert  northwards  be¬ 
yond  that  of  the  Haiwat,  to  the  vicinity  of  Gaza  and 
Beersheba.  The  Tiyahah  are  divided  into  the  Benei- 
yat  and  the  Sukeirat.  Still  further  West  are  the  Te- 
rabin,  dwelling  from  the  mountains  near  Suez  to  the 
region  of  Gaza  ;  their  main  body  being  found  not  far 
distant  from  the  latter  place.  This  tribe  is  the  strongest 
of  all,  and  is  closely  leagued  with  the  Tiyahah. 

The  mountainous  district  North  of  Jebel  ’Araif  and 
el-Mukrah,  and  between  el-’ Arabah  and  the  Tiyahah, 
is  inhabited  by  the  ’Azazimeh,  who  are  in  close  al¬ 
liance  with  the  former  tribe,  and  sometimes  pasture 


Apr.  9.] 


ANCIENT  ROMAN  ROAD. 


275 


within  their  territory.  Still  further  North  along  the 
Ghor,  are  the  Sa’idin  or  Sa’idiyeh,  the  Dhullam,  and 
the  Jehalin;  the  latter  dwelling  between  Hebron  and 
the  Dead  Sea.  Our  guides  mentioned  also  the  names 
of  the  Sawarikeh,  the  Jebarat,  and  the  Henajireh,  as 
living  in  the  same  region  ;  respecting  whom  we  learned 
nothing  further,  and  heard  of  them  no  more. — The 
above,  so  far  as  we  could  ascertain,  are  all  the  Arab 
tribes  inhabiting  the  great  western  desert. 

We  had  now  become  so  far  acquainted  with  the 
general  features  of  this  region,  as  to  perceive  the  rea¬ 
son,  why  all  the  roads  leading  across  it  from  ’Akabah 
and  from  the  Convent  to  Hebron  and  Gaza,  should 
meet  together  in  one  main  trunk  in  the  middle  of  the 
desert.  The  whole  district  adjacent  to  the  ’Arabah, 
North  of  Jebel  ’Araif  and  el-Mukrah,  as  has  been 
said,  is  mountainous ;  and  is  composed,  as  we  after¬ 
wards  found,  of  steep  ridges  running  mostly  from 
East  to  West,  and  presenting  almost  insuperable 
obstacles  to  the  passage  of  a  road  parallel  to  the 
’Arabah.  In  consequence,  no  great  route  now  leads, 
or  ever  has  led,  through  this  district ;  but  the  roads 
from  ’Akabah  which  ascend  from  Wady  el-’ Arabah 
and  in  any  degree  touch  the  high  plateau  of  the  desert 
S.  of  el-Mukrah,  must  necessarily  all  curve  to  the  West, 
and  passing  around  the  base  of  Jebel  ’Araif  el-Nakah, 
continue  along  the  western  side  of  this  mountainous 
tract. 

We  felt  assured,  therefore,  that  we  were  now  upon 
the  ancient  Roman  road,  as  marked  upon  the  Peuting- 
er  Tables,  leading  across  this  desert  from  ’Akabah  to 
Jerusalem;  whether  it  ascended  from  the  ’Arabah  by 
the  route  we  had  followed ;  or,  as  is  more  probable, 
kept  along  the  ’Arabah  for  a  time  and  then  ascended 
through  Wady  Beyaneh.  We  inquired  very  minutely 
after  the  names  of  Rasa  (Gerasa)  and  Gypsaria,  the 


276 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


first  stations  marked  on  the  ancient  road,  and  also 
mentioned  by  Ptolemy ;  but  could  find  no  trace  of  any¬ 
thing  corresponding  to  them.  Of  the  other  stations, 
still  North  of  us,  Lysa,  Ehoda,  and  Elusa,  as  also 
Beersheba,  we  hoped  to  be  able  to  give  a  better  ac¬ 
count  ;  for  our  guides  had  already  spoken  of  a  Wady 
Lussan,  of  ruins  called  ’Abdeh  and  Khulasah,  and  of 
wells  at  Bir  es-Seba’. 

In  respect  to  the  route  of  the  Israelites  in  approach¬ 
ing  Palestine,  we  here  obtained  only  the  conviction, 
that  they  could  not  have  passed  to  the  westward  of 
Jebel  ’Araif;  since  such  a  course  would  have  brought 
them  directly  to  Beersheba,  and  not  to  Kadesh;  which 
latter  city  lay  near  to  the  border  of  Edom.1 

Tuesday ,  April  10 th.  Mounting  at  5f  o’clock,  we 
ascended  the  line  of  hills  immediately  before  us,  by  a 
very  stony  path,  reaching  the  top  in  twenty-five  min¬ 
utes.  We  found  the  ridge  to  be  broad;  though  we 
began  soon  to  descend  gradually  through  a  small 
Wady.  On  our  right  and  towards  the  N.  E.  was  now 
a  mountainous  tract ;  consisting  of  steep  limestone 
ridges  running  parallel  to  each  other  from  E.  to  W. 
three  or  four  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  terminating 
towards  the  West  in  steep  bluffs.  Our  course  was 
still  N.  by  W.  parallel  to  the  end  of  these  bluffs  and 
at  no  great  distance  from  them,  through  a  lower  and 
more  open  region.  Before  us  was  another  large  Wady 
running  West,  and  then  another  line  of  hills  lower 
than  the  bluffs ;  and  such  continued  to  be  the  make  of 
the  land  for  the  greater  part  of  the  day.  At  6h  35'  we 
came  down  upon  Wady  Lussan,  a  broad  plain  swept 
over  by  torrents  descending  from  the  mountains  on 
the  right  and  flowing  to  Wady  el-’Arish.  Our  guides 
knew  of  no  fountain  or  water  in  this  valley ;  nor  of 


Apr.  10.] 


WADY  LUSSAN. 


277 


any  ruins.  The  name,  however,  and  perhaps  the  posi¬ 
tion,  corresponds  to  Lysa,  a  station  on  the  Roman 
road,  lying  according  to  Rennell  about  fifty-five  geogr. 
miles  from  Adah  ]l  from  which  place  we  had  now 
travelled  about  thirty  hours  by  a  longer  route.  The 
ancient  road  could  only  have  been,  like  ours,  a  caravan 
path ;  and  Lysa  and  the  other  places  marked  upon  it 
further  S.  were  very  probably  mere  stations,  with  a 
guard  and  a  few  tents  or  huts,  and  without  water  ex¬ 
cept  as  supplied  from  cisterns  or  from  a  distance.  On 
our  left,  just  as  we  reached  the  plain,  were  a  few  re¬ 
mains  of  rude  walls,  and  foundations,  which  we 
regarded  at  the  time  as  marking  only  the  site  of  a 
former  Arab  encampment.  But  from  the  many  similar 
remains  which  we  afterwards  saw  along  the  road,  I 
am  now  inclined  to  suppose,  that  they  may  have  be¬ 
longed  to  the  substructions  of  Lysa. 

We  were  fifteen  minutes  in  crossing  this  plain,  and 
at  6h  50'  entered  upon  another  tract  of  undulating 
hilly  country,  which  indeed  might  almost  he  called 
mountainous.  A  path  went  off  on  the  right,  leading 
to  some  rain-water  in  the  rocks  at  the  head  of  Wady 
Jerur ;  falling  into  our  road  again  further  on.  In  a 
few  minutes  more,  the  path  from  the  fountain  Mayein, 
which  left  ours  yesterday,  came  in  from  the  right. 
W e  here  entered  a  large  plain,  or  basin,  drained  by  a 
water-course  near  the  middle,  with  its  branches,  called 
Wady  el-Muzeirkah,  running  S.  W.  to  the  Lussan. 
This  we  reached  at  a  quarter  past  seven.  This  whole 
basin  was  full  of  shrubs  and  vegetation,  and  seemed 
capable  of  tillage.  Indeed,  in  several  spots  we  saw 
traces  of  rude  ploughing ;  and  were  told  that  in  years 

t 

1)  Comparat.  Geogr.  of  West-  about  IS  hours  with  camels.  From 
ern  Asia,  I.  p.  92. — It  is  marked  in  Wady  Luss&n,  however,  to  Eboda, 
the  Peutinger  Tables  at  48  R.  M.  we  found  only  14  hours. 

South  of  Eboda,  equivalent  to 


278 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


of  rain  the  Arabs  are  accustomed  to  plough  and  sow 
here.  A  thin  meager  grass  was  springing  up  in  various 
places.  Such  spots  as  these  we  had  not  seen  nor  heard 
of,  since  passing  Wady  Ghurundel  on  the  Gulf  of  Suez. 
In  all  the  region  of  the  Tawarah,  the  ’Amran,  and  the 
Haiwat,  there  are  none. 

We  now  ascended  along  a  narrow  Wady  to  the 
top  of  another  sloping  parallel  ridge,  on  which  we 
came  out  at  8  o’clock.  Vegetation  continued  quite  to 
the  summit,  consisting  of  shrubs  and  thin  tufts  of  slen¬ 
der  grass.  This  point  commands  a  wide  view  over  a 
broad  open  tract  of  country  on  the  left  and  towards 
the  N.  W.,  extending  apparently  to  the  mountains 
Yelek  and  el-IIelal,  broken  in  some  parts  by  low 
limestone  ridges  arid  hills  of  chalk  ;  while  on  our  right 
the  precipitous  chalky  cliffs  of  the  mountainous  dis¬ 
trict  continued.  Through  the  plain  before  us,  passed 
down  Wady  Jerur.  But  the  weather  was  now  so 
hazy,  that  we  were  unable  to  see  the  country  so  dis¬ 
tinctly  as  we  wished ;  especially  the  distant  moun¬ 
tains.  Around  us  vegetation  seemed  more  abundant ; 
and  camels  were  at  pasture  on  our  left,  belonging  to 
the  Haweitat  who  had  passed  on  a  few  days  before. — 
Here  Salim,  one  of  our  ’Amran  guides,  went  on  ahead 
of  our  caravan,  and  lay  down  to  sleep.  On  our  com¬ 
ing  up,  we  found  him  with  a  large  scratch  on  his  face 
and  a  slight  cut  on  his  shoulder,  which  he  said  had 
been  given  him  by  two  Arabs,  who  fell  upon  him 
while  asleep  and  tried  to  rob  him  of  his  dagger  and 
cloak.  We  doubted  the  truth  of  this  part  of  his  story  ; 
for  he  was  an  impudent  blackguard,  and  very  likely 
to  get  into  quarrel. 

We  reached  the  bed  of  Wady  Jeriir  at  9  o’clock, 
coming  from  the  mountains  on  our  right  and  running 
W.  to  the  ’Arish.  Our  guides  knew  of  no  water  in  it 
above  or  below,  (except  the  rain-water  among  the 


Apr.  10.] 


WADY  JERUR. 


279 


rocks  near  its  head,  as  already  mentioned,)  nor  of  any 
cultivation ;  though  Tuweileb  and  others  had  crossed 
it  further  down  near  its  mouth.1  Our  path  now 
ascended  very  gradually,  and  at  9h  55'  again  descended 
through  a  narrow  Wady,  where  we  found  a  little  rain¬ 
water  standing  in  the  rocks  at  the  bottom,  of  which 
the  guide  and  dog  drank  together.  Indeed,  in  several 
Wadys  both  yesterday  and  to-day,  we  had  seen  traces 
of  running  water  from  the  late  rains.  At  10J  o’clock, 
we  passed  a  limestone  ridge  of  some  height  by  a  gap. 
Here  we  had  our  last  view  of  Jehel  ’Araif,  bearing  S. 
by  E.  From  this  point  our  course  became  N.  N.  E. 
for  the  remainder  of  the  day.  Half  an  hour  later  we 
came  upon  three  broad  and  shallow  water-courses,  full 
of  the  shrub  Retem,  uniting  below  and  called  Wady 
es-Sa’idat,  which  runs  down  to  join  the  Jaifeh  before 
us.  This  latter  valley  followed  at  llh  50  ,  very  broad 
and  full  of  pasture ;  coming  from  the  E.  S.  E.  where 
are  many  spots  in  it  tilled  and  sown  by  the  Tiyahah. 
It  passes  on  to  the  ’Arisli ;  having  no  water  known  to 
our  guides.  In  it,  on  our  left,  many  camels  were 
browsing,  belonging  to  the  main  body  of  our  new 
friends  the  Haweitat,  who  had  passed  us  near  ’Akabah. 

After  another  hour  a  slight  ascent  brought  us  out 
upon  a  high  stony  plain ;  while  our  course  was  bring¬ 
ing  us  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  mountains  on  our 
right.  At  lh  10'  we  came  upon  Wady  Abu  Retemat, 
a  wide  plain  with  shrubs  and  Retem ;  beyond  which 
a  limestone  ridge  of  some  height  stretched  from  the 
eastern  mountains  far  to  the  West,  having  in  it  several 
gaps  and  passes.  We  soon  came  close  to  the  moun¬ 
tain  on  our  right,  and  began  to  ascend  gradually 


1)  The  name  Jerur  in  Arabic 
corresponds  to  the  Hebrew  Gerar; 
but  neither  the  position  nor  the 
character  of  this  Wady  admit  the 
supposition  of  its  being  the  same 


with  the  Gerar  of  Scripture.  This 
lay  much  nearer  to  Gaza,  in  the 
country  of  the  Philistines,  and  was 
very  fertile.  Gen.  xx.  1.  xxvi.  6,  S. 


280 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  Y. 


through  a  Wady  with  many  herbs,  coming  down  from 
the  N.  E.  into  Abu  Retemat,  and  forming  a  wide  pass 
between  the  mountain  and  the  beginning  of  the  ridge 
just  mentioned.  Beyond  the  eastern  mountain  at  some 
distance  is  a  large  fountain  with  sweet  running  water, 
named  ’Ain  el-Kudeirat,  hut  more  usually  called  simply 
el-’ Ain.  From  it  a  Wady,  also  called  el-’ Ain,  runs  off 
towards  the  North,  and  sweeping  round  N.  W.  through 
a  tract  of  open  country,  goes  to  join  the  ’Arish.  A 
path  went  off  from  our  road  at  If  o’clock,  leading  to 
the  wells  el-Birein,  lying  a  little  to  the  right  of  our 
way,  half  a  day’s  journey  from  this  spot.  We  reached 
the  top  of  the  pass,  which  is  everywhere  sprinkled 
with  herbage,  at  2  o’clock.  It  opens  out  upon  a  large 
gravelly  plain  or  basin,  thickly  covered  in  many  parts 
with  shrubs  and  coarse  herbage,  and  having  in  other 
parts  tracts  of  naked  sand.  Here  the  line  of  the  east¬ 
ern  mountains  abruptly  retires ;  the  plain  extends  up 
far  to  the  right ;  and  is  shut  in  on  the  East,  South, 
and  West,  by  limestone  hills. 

Crossing  the  plain  for  twenty  minutes,  we  came  to 
several  pits  of  bluish,  brackish  water,  dug  a  few  feet 
deep  in  a  bed  of  blue  clay,  surrounded  by  an  abund¬ 
ance  of  coarse  bulrushes  and  rank  vegetation.  Only 
one  pit  had  water  in  it  at  the  time.  Here  we  stopped 
for  half  an  hour ;  watered  the  camels,  which  seemed 
thirsty;  and  filled  some  of  the  water-skins.  To  do 
this  the  more  quickly,  Tuweileb’s  boy  went  down 
naked  into  the  water,  and  handed  it  up  in  our  leathern 
bucket.  These  wells  lie  in  a  shallow  Wady  called  el- 
Kusaimeh,  which  rises  in  the  plain  and  runs  off  W.  N. 
W.  among  the  western  hills. — From  this  spot  the 
northern  end  of  Jebel  el-Helal  beyond  Wady  el-’Arish 
bore  N.  80°  W.  The  same  seen  from  Wady  el- 
Jaifeh  at  llh  50'  bore  N.  55°  W.  The  opening  by 
which  Wady  el-’ Ain  leaves  the  mountains,  bore  from 


Apr.  10.] 


WATER.  WADY  EL-’AIN. 


281 


here  S.  E.  The  bed  of  this  Wady  passes  across  the 
plain  to  the  eastward  of  the  wells,  and  then  sweeps 
around  to  the  N.  W. 

Leaving  the  wells  at  2h  50'  we  ascended  gently 
among  low  chalky  hills  for  half  an  hour ;  when  we 
again  descended  gradually,  and  passing  two  or  three 
small  Wadys,  came  upon  Wady  el-’ Ain,  here  running 
to  the  left  through  a  wide  gravelly  plain  with  occasional 
tracts  of  sand,  thinly  covered  in  this  part  with  shrubs 
and  herbage.  We  reached  the  deep  gully  which  forms 
its  water-course,  at  4  o’clock ;  and  found  it  bordered 
with  grass,  daisies,  and  other  small  flowers,  most  re¬ 
freshing  to  the  eye  after  so  long  an  abstinence.  Indeed, 
we  had  found  to-day  more  vegetation  in  the  desert, 
than  before  in  all  the  way  from  Egypt.  This  Wady, 
as  we  have  seen,  comes  from  el-’Ain,  the  fountain 
above  mentioned,  by  a  circuitous  course ;  and  con¬ 
tinues  on  to  join  Wady  el-’Arish.  Further  down,  a 
Wady  enters  it  from  the  left,  having  in  it  brackish 
water  called  el-Muweilih,  forming  a  station  on  the 
western  road  from  the  convent  to  Gaza. 

After  crossing  the  water-course,  we  came  upon  a 
broad  tract  of  tolerably  fertile  soil,  capable  of  tillage, 
and  apparently  once  tilled.  Across  the  whole  tract 
the  remains  of  long  ranges  of  low  stone-walls  were 
visible,  which  probably  once  served  as  the  divisions 
of  cultivated  fields.  The  Arabs  call  them  el-Muzeiri’at, 
“  little  plantations.”  We  afterwards  saw  many  such 
walls,  which  obviously  were  not  constructed  by  the 
present  race  of  Arab  inhabitants ;  but  must  be  referred 
back  to  an  earlier  period.  We  neither  saw  nor  heard 
of  any  site  of  ruins  in  this  valley ;  it  may  have  been 
tilled  by  the  inhabitants  of  some  place  not  far  remote. 
We  encamped  at  4h  2 5'  upon  the  plain.  On  its  north¬ 
ern  side  rose  a  swelling  ridge  of  considerable  eleva¬ 
tion,  with  several  sharp  chalky  peaks ;  the  most  pro- 
Vol.  I.  36 


282 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


minent  of  which  was  called  Ras  es-Seram.  Towards 
the  East,  mountains  were  visible  only  at  a  distance. 

The  country  through  which  we  had  passed  to-day, 
though  in  itself  barren  and  desolate  in  the  extreme, 
yet  in  consequence  of  the  recent  rains  presented  the 
appearance  of  a  less  frightful  desert.  Some  grass,  a 
few  flowers,  more  frequent  herbs  and  shrubs,  and  a 
few  faint  traces  of  tillage,  were  to  us  agreeable  novel¬ 
ties  ;  the  more  grateful,  as  they  gave  promise  of  better 
things  to  come. 

Wednesday ,  April  1 1th,  The  morning  was  bright 
and  beautiful ;  and  we  set  off  at  5f  o’clock  in  high 
spirits,  in  the  hope  of  finding  to-day,  not  indeed  Arab 
habitations,  but  the  more  interesting  remains  of  the 
dwellings  of  former  generations.  Our  guides  had  pro¬ 
mised  to  take  us  to  a  place  with  ruins,  not  far  from 
our  path,  which  they  knew  only  by  the  name  of  7Au- 
jeh ;  but  which  Tuweileb  said  was  also  called  ’Abdeh. 
Our  course  lay  first  across  the  plain  N.  E.  by  N.  and 
our  main  route  continued  in  this  direction  all  day. 
On  both  sides  of  the  way  patches  of  wheat  and  barley 
were  seen;  their  deep  green  contrasting  strongly 
with  the  nakedness  around.  We  saw  many  such 
patches  in  the  course  of  the  day ;  but  they  were  mostly 
stunted  and  poor,  in  consequence  of  the  little  rain. 
The  plain  now  became  a  gradual  acclivity  ;  and  fol¬ 
lowing  up  a  broad  W ady,  or  tract  covered  with  herbs, 
we  came  out  at  6h  40'  on  a  smaller  high  circular  plain, 
surrounded  by  chalky  hills,  which  from  a  distance  ap¬ 
pear  like  mountain-peaks.  This  plain  is  about  a  mile 
in  diameter,  and  covered  with  shrubs.  One  of  the 
hills,  a  chalky  cone  on  the  S.  W.  is  the  Ras  es-Seram 
seen  yesterday.  It  is  so  called  from  Wady  es-Seram 
of  which  this  plain  is  the  head,  and  which  issues  from 
it  on  the  opposite  or  N.  E.  part.  On  this  plain  comes 
in  the  great  western  road  from  the  convent  of  Sinai 


Apr.  11.] 


WADY  ES-SERAM.  BIRDS. 


283 


to  Gaza;  the  different  routes  over  Jebel  et-Tih  by 
the  two  passes  er-Rakineh  and  el-Mureikhy,  having 
united  long  before  reaching  this  point.  Thus  all  the 
roads  across  the  desert  were  now  combined  into  one 
main  trunk,  and  continued  so  for  the  remainder  of  the 
day* 

We  crossed  the  plain;  and  at  a  quarter  past  7 
o’clock  entered  and  descended  Wady  es-Seram.  The 
desert  began  to  assume  a  gentler  aspect.  The  Seram 
spread  out  further  down  into  a  wide  plain,  with  shrubs 
and  grass  and  patches  of  wheat  and  barley,  looking 
almost  like  a  meadow.  A  few  Arabs  of  the  ’  Azazimeh 
were  pasturing  their  camels  and  flocks.  The  country 
around  became  gradually  still  more  open,  with  broad 
arable  vallies  separated  by  low  swelling  hills.  Grass 
increased  in  the  vallies ;  and  herbs  were  sprinkled 
over  the  hills.  We  heard  this  morning,  for  the  first 
time,  the  songs  of  many  birds,  and  among  them  the 
lark.  I  watched  the  little  warbler  rising  and  soaring 
in  his  song  ;  and  was  inexpressibly  delighted.  On 
reaching  the  plain,  we  sent  two  Arabs  with  a  camel 
over  the  hills  on  the  right  to  the  wells  Birein  for  water, 
with  directions  to  overtake  the  party  again  in  the 
course  of  the  day.  At  8  o’clock,  leaving  our  servants 
and  camels  to  continue  in  the  direct  route  to  Ruhaibeh, 
where  we  were  to  encamp,  we  ourselves  with  the 
dromedaries  and  three  Arabs  turned  off  the  road  to¬ 
wards  the  left  of  a  low  range  of  hills,  in  order  to  visit 
the  ruins  of  ’Aujeh  or  ’Abdeh.  In  half  an  hour,  travel¬ 
ling  about  North,  we  came  upon  a  low  ridge,  command¬ 
ing  a  view  out  over  a  boundless  plain  or  slightly  undu¬ 
lating  tract  towards  the  East,  often  sandy,  but  every¬ 
where  sprinkled  with  shrubs  and  herbs  like  a  Wady. 
The  Seram  expands  into  this  plain,  as  do  also  Wady 
el-Birein  from  the  S.  and  Wady  el-Htifir  from  the  S. 
E.  The  water-course  of  the  Seram  keeps  along  on 


284 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V* 


the  western  side  of  the  plain  beneath  the  hills  on  which 
we  now  were.  We  here  struck  a  track  coming 
from  Wady  es-Seram  on  the  right  and  going  off  to 
Gaza ;  but  it  was  not  the  usual  Gaza  road.  We  soon 
left  it,  and  turning  more  to  the  right,  saw,  at  three 
quarters  past  8,  the  ruins  on  a  hill  North. 

Descending  along  a  little  Wady,  we  struck  the 
water-course  of  the  Seram  at  9  o’clock,  still  running 
N.  along  the  base  of  the  low  hills  which  continue  to 
skirt  the  plain  on  this  side.  Here  we  came  upon  the 
remains  of  walls  similar  to  those  we  had  seen  near 
Wady  el-’ Ain,  apparently  once  enclosing  fields  or  gar¬ 
dens,  along  the  tract  overflowed  by  the  torrent  during 
the  rainy  season.  At  first  these  walls  were  slight,  but 
became  thicker  and  more  solid  as  we  advanced.  Most 
of  them  are  two  or  three  feet  thick,  and  double ;  the 
faces  being  laid  up  very  neatly  with  round  stones  from 
the  torrent ,  and  the  middle  filled  in  with  gravel.  Some, 
built  across  the  water-course,  are  six  or  eight  feet 
thick,  forming  a  solid  dam ;  and  were  doubtless  in¬ 
tended  to  regulate  the  flowing  and  distribution  of  the 
water.  In  some  of  the  walls,  the  sides  are  perpen¬ 
dicular  ;  in  others  sloping ;  and  occasionally  the  round 
stones  are  broken  to  a  face.  At  9h  10'  the  water-bed 
of  Wady  el-Birein  came  in  across  the  plain,  and  gave 
its  name  to  the  whole.  Five  minutes  further  on  was 
a  Ghildir  or  pool  of  rain-water  in  its  bed,  and  another 
just  below.  This  point  was  about  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  distant  from  the  hill  with  ruins.  Here  we  dis¬ 
mounted,  and  turned  up  a  little  Wady  coming  in  from 
the  West,  to  visit  the  ruin  of  a  square  tower  of  hewn 
stone  on  its  southern  bank.  Near  by  it  the  foundations 
of  houses  were  visible ;  and  many  hewn  stones  and 
fragments  of  pottery  were  strewn  around.  On  the  N. 
side  of  the  little  Wady,  opposite  the  tower,  is  a  deep 
cavern  in  the  limestone  hill,  apparently  once  a  quarry, 


Apr.  11.] 


}ABDEH,  EBODAH. 


289 


with  pillars  left  to  support  the  roof.  From  it  the 
materials  for  the  neighbouring  buildings  were  probably 
taken.  It  is  more  than  a  hundred  feet  in  length ;  and 
has  been  apparently  inhabited,  perhaps  by  the  Arabs ; 
as  fragments  of  pottery  were  scattered  in  it.  It  is  now 
the  resort  of  multitudes  of  pigeons,  which  flew  out  in 
a  cloud  as  we  entered. 

The  principal  ruins  are  situated  on  a  hill  or  rocky 
ridge,  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  feet  high,  running  out 
like  a  promontory  towards  the  E.  from  the  elevated 
land  on  our  left,  and  overlooking  the  broad  plain  in 
front ;  while  the  bed  of  the  torrent  sweeps  in  a  deep 
channel  close  around  its  end.  On  this  hill  two  ruins 
were  conspicuous,  resembling  the  fortresses  of  an 
acropolis.  As  we  approached,  there  was  on  our  left 
apparently  an  ancient  reservoir,  which  received  its 
water  from  the  hills  above.  Here  we  found  Arabs 
with  their  camels  and  goats  at  pasture ;  they  proved 
to  be  a  family  of  the  Tawarah,  wTho  had  wandered  off 
thus  far  from  their  home.  Arriving  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill,  we  found  the  southern  base  and  slope  covered  with 
the  ruins  of  buildings  of  hewn  stone,  thrown  together 
in  utter  confusion,  and  showing  this  to  have  been  the 
main  site  of  the  ancient  town.  Among  these  we 
noticed  several  columns  and  entablatures.  On  the 
top  of  the  hill,  the  westernmost  building,  near  the 
middle  of  the  ridge,  proved  to  be  a  Greek  church, 
fronting  towards  the  E.  about  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  in  length,  and  of  proportional  breadth.  The  walls 
are  still  in  great  part  standing,  built  of  hewn  stone 
apparently  from  the  neighbouring  quarry,  and  of  good 
workmanship.  The  arched  recess  or  place  of  the 
altar  was  yet  visible,  with  a  similar  smaller  recess  on 
each  side  quite  entire.  In  the  western  part  was  a  side 
chapel  with  two  or  three  smaller  rooms.  The  space 
within  the  wralls  was  strewn  with  broken  columns 
and  entablatures. 


286 


FROM  ’AKARAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


About  one  hundred  and  fifty  paces  further  East, 
near  the  extremity  of  the  ridge,  are  the  ruins  of  a  for¬ 
tress  or  castle ;  a  large  parallelogram  likewise  built 
of  hewn  stone  from  the  quarry.  The  length  of  the  en¬ 
closure,  of  which  the  walls  are  still  standing,  is  more 
than  three  hundred  feet  from  E.  to  W.  On  the  east¬ 
ern  end  there  would  seem  to  have  been  another  and 
perhaps  stronger  part  of  the  fortress,  extending  a  hun¬ 
dred  feet  further  quite  to  the  brow  of  the  precipice. 
This  part  is  now  wholly  destroyed ;  and  of  the  larger 
enclosure  no  portion  is  covered  over.  The  entrance 
was  from  the  West,  by  a  fine  arched  portal  now  bro¬ 
ken  at  the  top.  We  looked  here,  as  well  as  in  the 
church,  for  inscriptions  ;  hut  without  success.  At  the 
eastern  end,  beyond  the  present  wall,  but  within  the 
circuit  of  the  smaller  fortress,  is  a  very  deep  cistern 
capable  of  holding  several  hundred  hogsheads;  and 
further  on,  near  the  extreme  point  of  the  rock,  a  well 
about  one  hundred  feet  deep,  now  dry.  The  bottom 
of  this  well  for  some  sixty  feet  is  wholly  sunk  in  the 
solid  rock  ;  while  the  top  for  about  forty  feet  is  walled 
up  eight  feet  square  with  hewn  stones  in  an  uncom¬ 
monly  good  style  of  masonry.  An  arch  was  formerly 
thrown  over  the  top,  which  is  now  broken  down.  The 
walls  of  the  smaller  part  of  the  fortress  included  both 
the  cistern  and  well.  At  the  bottom  of  the  hill  imme¬ 
diately  below  this  point,  is  another  well  about  forty 
feet  deep,  walled  up  in  the  same  manner. — On  the 
East  of  the  water-course  of  Wady  el-Birein  are  also 
ruins  of  buildings ;  and  the  walls  of  fields  similar  to 
those  we  saw  at  first,  extend  far  out  into  the  plain. 

From  the  castle  the  direction  of  the  wells  Birein 
was  pointed  out  about  S.  by  E.  Further  to  the  East 
the  water-course  of  Wady  el-Hufir  comes  down  across 
the  plain;  and  uniting  with  that  of  Wady  el-Birein 
just  N.  of  the  castle,  gives  its  name  to  the  whole.  It 
then  runs  off  N.  W.  to  join  Wady  el-Abyad. 


Apr.  11.] 


’ABDEH,  EBODA. 


287 


We  had  no  doubt  at  the  time,  nor  have  I  any  now, 
that  these  were  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  Eboda  or 
Oboda,  a  city  mentioned  only  by  Ptolemy,  and  mark¬ 
ed  on  the  Peutinger  Tables  as  lying  on  the  Roman  road 
twenty-three  Roman  miles  to  the  southward  of  Elusa  ; 
equivalent  to  nine  hours  with  camels  at  the  usual  rate 
of  travel.  We  were  afterwards  eight  hours  in  passing 
from  these  ruins  to  the  site  of  Elusa,  at  a  rate  more 
rapid  than  usual ;  so  that  the  correspondence  is  here 
sufficiently  exact;  and  the  name  of  ’Abdeh,  which 
the  spot  still  bears,  is  decisive.  It  must  have  been  a 
place  of  importance  and  of  great  strength.  The  large 
church  marks  a  numerous  Christian  population ;  though 
Eboda  is  nowhere  mentioned  among  the  episcopal 
cities.  It  is  rare  also  to  find  in  the  desert  a  fortress  of 
such  extent,  and  built  with  so  much  care.  But  the 
desert  has  reassumed  its  rights ;  the  intrusive  hand  of 
cultivation  has  been  driven  back ;  the  race  that  dwelt 
here  have  perished ;  and  their  works  now  look  abroad 
in  loneliness  and  silence  over  the  mighty  waste.1 

We  left  the  ruins  at  10f  o’clock.  Just  as  we  were 
mounting  our  camels,  one  of  the  ’Azazimeh,  who  was 
pasturing  in  the  vicinity,  came  up  and  scolded  our 
guides  most  violently  for  bringing  Christians  to  view 
his  country.  Our  course  lay  N.  E.  by  E.  across  the 
plain  to  regain  our  former  road.  The  character  of  the 
desert  began  to  change,  and  became  more  and  more 
sandy  as  we  advanced.  We  struck  the  route  at  a 
quarter  past  noon;  and  fell  in  again  with  our  acquaint¬ 
ances,  the  Haweitat,  who  were  now  going  the  same 
road.  We  soon  passed  by  their  caravan,  and  saw 
them  no  more. 

During  this  time  we  were  exposed  to  a  violent  Si¬ 
rocco,  which  continued  till  towards  evening,  resembling 
the  Khamsin  of  Egypt.  The  wind  had  been  all  the 

1)  See  Note  XXI,  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 


288 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


morning  N.  E.  but  at  11  o’clock  it  suddenly  changed 
to  the  South,  and  came  upon  us  with  violence  and  in¬ 
tense  heat,  until  it  blew  a  perfect  tempest.  The  at¬ 
mosphere  was  filled  with  fine  particles  of  sand,  forming 
a  bluish  haze  ;  the  sun  was  scarcely  visible,  his  disk 
exhibiting  only  a  dun  and  sickly  hue ;  and  the  glow 
of  the  wind  came  upon  our  faces  as  from  a  burning 
oven.  Often  we  could  not  see  ten  rods  around  us ; 
and  our  eyes,  ears,  mouths,  and  clothes,  were  filled 
with  sand.  The  thermometer  at  12  o’clock  stood  at 
88°  F.  and  had  apparently  been  higher ;  at  2  o’clock 
it  had  fallen  to  7 6°,  although  the  wind  still  continued. 

We  kept  on  our  way,  proceeding  among  sand-drifts, 
the  ground  in  spots  being  white  with  broken  snail- 
shells  ;  and  began  to  descend  very  gradually  towards 
Wady  el-Abyad.  At  12h  5Cf  there  were  again  walls 
of  fields,  marking  an  extensive  enclosure.  At  1  o’clock 
we  came  to  an  Arab  cemetery,  with  a  rude  heap  of 
stones,  called  the  tomb  of  Sheikh  el-’Amry,  whom  the 
Arabs  never  mention  without  a  curse.  A  ridiculous 
story  of  Arab  superstition  is  attached  to  this  tomb. 
There  seemed  also  to  be  the  foundations  of  a  village 
or  the  like,  connected  with  the  said  fields.  Close  by 
is  the  bed  of  Wady  el-Abyad,  running  to  the  left  into 
the  ’Arish;  it  was  said  to  be  the  last  Wady  on  our  route 
that  joins  the  latter  valley.  The  region  is  here  all 
sand ;  and  we  now  passed  among  swelling  hills,  which, 
though  of  sand,  were  yet  covered  to  the  top  with  tufts 
of  herbs  and  shrubs,  like  the  vallies  and  plains ;  all 
greener  than  before,  and  indicating  our  approach  to  a 
land  of  rain.  Among  these  hills  we  passed  at  half  past 
two  through  a  large  basin,  the  head  of  a  Wady  called 
Nehiyeh,  running  off  W.  to  Wady  el-Abyad.  Here 
we  overtook  our  two  men  with  a  load  of  good  water 
from  el-Birein.  They  reported  that  the  wells  were 
four  instead  of  two ;  all  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet 


Apr.  11.] 


ER-RUHAIBEH. 


289 


deep,  walled  up  with  hewn  stone,  and  containing  living 
water.  The  plain  beyond  the  wells,  they  said,  was  ex¬ 
tensively  cultivated  by  the  Arabs. 

We  overtook  the  rest  of  our  party  not  long  after, 
and  soon  began  to  descend  gradually  towards  the  head 
of  Wady  er-Ruhaibeh.  The  tempest  continued  una¬ 
bated,  although  the  burning  glow  had  in  part  passed 
away.  As  we  crossed  a  plain  slightly  descending  to¬ 
wards  the  N.  E.  there  were,  at  3h  20',  traces  of  walls 
and  former  fields.  Ten  minutes  further  brought  us 
to  the  entrance  of  Wady  er-Ruhaibeh,  which  runs 
from  the  plain  towards  the  N.  E.  Here  is  the  fork  of 
the  two  main  roads  leading  to  Gaza  and  Hebron. 
We  encamped  at  3f  o’clock  in  the  Wady,  which  is 
at  first  narrow,  lying  between  hills  of  gentle  acclivity. 

The  tempest  now  seemed  to  have  reached  its  great¬ 
est  fury,  and  had  become  a  tornado.  It  was  with  the 
utmost  difficulty  that  we  could  pitch  our  tent,  or  keep  it 
upright  after  it  was  pitched.  For  a  time  the  prospect 
was  dreadful;  and  the  storm  in  itself  was  probably  as 
terrific,  as  most  of  those  which  have  given  rise  to  the 
exaggerated  accounts  of  travellers.  Yet  here  was  no 
danger  of  life ;  though  I  can  well  conceive  that  in  cer¬ 
tain  circumstances,  as  where  a  traveller  is  without 
water  and  is  previously  feeble  and  exhausted,  such  a 
“horrible  tempest”  may  well  prove  fatal.  Most  of  our 
Arabs  covered  their  faces  with  a  handkerchief,  al¬ 
though  we  were  travelling  before  the  wind.  After 
5  o’clock  the  wind  fell ;  the  air  became  less  obscure  ; 
a  breeze  sprung  up  from  the  N.  W.  which  soon  puri¬ 
fied  the  atmosphere,  restored  the  sun  to  his  splendour, 
and  brought  us  a  clear  and  pleasant  evening,  with  a 
temperature  of  66°  F.  It  was  no  little  labour  to  free 
ourselves  from  the  casing  of  sand  in  which  we  were 
enveloped. 

We  had  not  been  told  of  ruins  at  this  place,  or  only 
Vol.  I.  37 


290 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  Y. 


in  general  terms ;  and  were  therefore  the  more  sur¬ 
prised  to  find  here  also  traces  of  antiquity.  In  the 
valley  itself,  just  at  the  left  of  the  path,  is  the  ruin  of  a 
small  rough  building  with  a  dome,  built  in  the  manner 
of  a  mosk ;  it  was  obviously  once  a  Wely  or  tomb  of 
a  Muhammedan  Saint.  On  the  right  of  the  path  is  a 
confused  heap  of  hewn  stones,  the  remains  of  a  square 
building  of  some  size,  perhaps  a  tower.  On  the  accli¬ 
vity  of  the  eastern  hill  we  found  traces  of  wells ;  a 
deep  cistern,  or  rather  cavern,  which  seemed  to  have 
been  used  as  such ;  and  a  fine  circular  threshing  floor, 
evidently  antique.  But  on  ascending  the  hill  on  the 
left  of  the  valley,  we  were  astonished  to  find  ourselves 
amid  the  ruins  of  an  ancient  city.  Here  is  a  level  tract 
of  ten  or  twelve  acres  in  extent,  entirely  and  thickly 
covered  over  with  confused  heaps  of  stones,  with  just 
enough  of  their  former  order  remaining,  to  show  the 
foundations  and  form  of  the  houses,  and  the  course  of 
some  of  the  streets.  The  houses  were  mostly  small, 
all  solidly  built  of  bluish  limestone,  squared  and  often 
hewn  on  the  exterior  surface.  Many  of  the  dwellings 
had  each  its  cistern,  cut  in  the  solid  rock  ;  and  these 
still  remain  quite  entire.  One  mass  of  stones  larger 
than  the  rest,  appeared  to  be  the  remains  of  a  church, 
from  the  fragments  of  columns  and  entablatures  strewed 
around.  Another  large  mass  lay  further  to  the  North, 
which  we  did  not  visit.  There  seemed  to  have  been 
no  public  square,  and  no  important  or  large  public 
buildings ;  nor  could  we  trace  with  certainty  any  city 
walls.  We  sought  also  in  vain  for  inscriptions.  Once, 
as  we  judged  upon  the  spot,  this  must  have  been  a  city 
of  not  less  than  twelve  or  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants. 
Now,  it  is  a  perfect  field  of  ruins,  a  scene  of  unutterable 
desolation;  across  which  the  passing  stranger  can 
with  difficulty  find  his  way.  Multitudes  of  lizards 
were  briskly  and  silently  gliding  among  the  stones; 


Apr.  11.] 


ER-RUHAIBEH. 


291 


and  at  evening,  as  we  sat  writing,  the  screechings  of 
an  owl  were  the  only  sound  to  break  in  upon  the 
death-like  stillness. 

These  ruins  have  apparently  been  seen  by  no  for¬ 
mer  traveller ;  and  it  was  only  by  accident  that  we 
stumbled  upon  them.  The  place  must  anciently  have 
been  one  of  some  note  and  importance  ;  but  what  city 
could  it  have  been  I  This  is  a  question,  which  after 
long  inquiry,  and  with  the  best  aid  from  the  light  of 
European  science,  I  am  as  yet  unable  to  answer.  The 
name  er-Ruhaibeh  naturally  suggests  the  Hebrew 
Rehoboth ,  one  of  Isaac’s  wells  in  the  vicinity  of  Gerar  ;* 
but  this  appears  to  have  been  nothing  but  a  well,  and 
there  is  no  mention  in  Scripture  or  elsewhere  of  any 
city  connected  with  it.  The  position  of  the  well  too, 
would  seem  to  have  been  much  further  North;  and  no 
town  of  this  name  is  spoken  of  in  all  this  region.  The 
city  probably  bore  some  other  name,  now  utterly  for¬ 
gotten.  The  ruined  Wely  above  mentioned  seems  to 
indicate,  that  the  place  was  inhabited,  or  at  least  fre¬ 
quented,  down  to  a  period  considerably  later  than  the 
Muhammedan  conquest. 


As  Ruhaibeh  is  the  great  point  from  which  the 
roads  across  the  desert,  after  having  been  all  united, 
again  diverge  towards  Gaza  and  Hebron,  the  present 
is  a  fit  occasion  for  bringing  together  all  that  remains 
to  be  said  of  these  routes  and  of  the  region  further 
South.  We  travelled  the  road  from  this  point  to  He¬ 
bron,  a  journey  of  two  days,  which  is  described  in  the 
following  pages.  Gaza  (Arabic  Ghuzzeh)  was  said 
to  be  only  one  day  distant  from  Ruhaibeh,  though  it 
must  be  a  very  long  day’s  journey.  Our  guides  knew 
of  no  ruins  on  the  way ;  and  only  of  one  place  of  any 

1)  Gen.  xxvi.  22. 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


292 


[Sec.  Y. 


note,  called  Nuttar  Abu  Sumar,  where  the  Arabs  have 
magazines  of  grain. 

From  ’Akabah  to  Hebron  and  Gaza,  one  road 
passes  along  nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  great 
Wady  el-’Arabah,  and  ascends  from  it  to  the  high 
western  plateau  by  several  passes  not  far  from  the  S. 
end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  These  we  shall  have  occasion 
to  describe  at  a  later  period.  From  ’Akabah  to  Ru- 
haibeh  there  are  two  roads  for  a  part  of  the  way ;  one, 
the  route  we  travelled ;  and  the  other,  keeping  for 
some  time  along  the  ’Arabah,  as  has  been  already 
mentioned,  and  then  ascending  through  Wady  el- 
Beyaneh  to  join  our  road  before  reaching  Jebel 
’Araif. 

From  the  convent  of  Sinai,  (and  consequently  also 
from  Tur,)  three  roads  cross  by  the  three  great  passes  of 
Jebel  et-Tih,  and  unite  before  reaching  Ruhaibeh. 
The  easternmost  is  the  road  passing  by  el-’ Ain  and  also 
by  the  well  eth-Themed,  West  of  the  mountain  Turf 
er-Rukn ;  and  falling  into  our  route  at  Wadyel-Mayein 
near  Jebel  ’Araif.  The  middle  road  crosses  the  Tih  by 
the  pass  el-Mureikhy ;  and  the  western  one  by  the 
pass  er-Rakineh.  These  unite  before  reaching  the 
Haj-route;  and  fall  into  our  road  on  the  circular  plain 
at  the  head  of  Wady  es-Seram,  about  one  day’s  jour¬ 
ney  from  Ruhaibeh.  This  united  route  passes  some 
distance  to  the  eastward  of  the  fortress  Nukhl  on  the 
Haj-road ;  six  hours,  according  to  Seetzen’s  informa¬ 
tion.1  A  branch  route,  however,  from  both  the 
passes,  goes  off  by  way  of  Nukhl,  and  falls  in  again 
further  North;  but  this  increases  the  distance  one 
day’s  journey.  From  the  convent  to  Ruhaibeh  is 
reckoned  nine  days’ journey  on  all  the  direct  roads; 
and  by  way  of  Nukhl,  ten  days.  The  middle  route, 


1)  Zach’s  Monatl,  Corresp.  XVII.  p.  147. 


Apr.  11.] 


ROUTES  ACROSS  THE  DESERT. 


293 


across  the  pass  el-Mureikhy,  is  the  one  most  commonly 
travelled  by  the  Tawarah ;  though  Tuweileb  was 
acquainted  with  them  all. 

These  roads,  it  will  be  seen,  all  lie  to  the  eastward  of 
Wady  el-?Arish  ;  the  westernmost  crossing  that  Wady 
from  West  to  East,  not  far  above  Jebel  Ikhrimm.  But 
another  branch  keeps  on  from  that  point  to  Gaza, 
along  the  western  side  of  the  ’Arish,  crossing  it  much 
further  down,  and  leaving  Ruhaibeh  at  some  distance 
on  the  right.  This  would  seem  to  be  the  route  taken 
by  the  pilgrims,  who  travelled  in  the  fifteenth  and  six¬ 
teenth  centuries  from  Gaza  to  Mount  Sinai. 

The  above  are  all  the  roads  we  heard  of,  across 
the  desert,  from  South  to  North.  But  an  important 
road  leads  from  Cairo  by  way  of  Ajrud  to  Hebron, 
and  falls  into  our  route  at  the  head  of  Wady  es-Seram, 
before  reaching  Ruhaibeh. — A  few  days  before  we 
passed,  Lord  Prudhoe  had  also  travelled  directly  from 
Niikhl  to  Wady  Musa,  and  kindly  furnished  us  with 
the  notes  of  his  route. 

The  notices  thus  collected  by  us  for  the  first  time 
from  the  Arabs,  together  with  our  own  observations 
and  Burckhardt’s  route  in  1812,  furnish,  so  far  as  I 
know,  the  only  topographical  details  as  yet  given  to 
the  public,  respecting  the  great  desert  North  of  Jebel 
et-Tih  and  the  Haj -route  ;  excepting  a  very  brief  ac¬ 
count  by  Russegger  of  his  journey  from  the  convent 
to  Hebron  a  few  months  after  we  had  passed.  The 
details  are  embodied  in  a  note  at  the  end  of  the 
volume.1 

From  a  comparison  of  all  these  notices,  it  appears, 
that  the  middle  of  this  desert  is  occupied  by  a  long 
central  basin,  extending  from  Jebel  et-Tih  to  the 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  descending  towards  the 
North  with  a  rapid  slope,  and  drained  through  all  its 

1)  See  Note  XXII,  end  of  the  volume. 


294 


FROM  ’ARAB AH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


length  by  Wady  el-’Arish,  which  enters  the  sea  near 
the  place  of  the  same  name.  West  of  this  basin,  other 
Wadys  run  by  themselves  down  to  the  sea.  On  the 
East  of  the  same  central  basin  is  another  similar  and 
parallel  one,  between  it  and  the  JArabah,  (the  two 
being  separated  by  the  chain  el-’djmeh  and  its  con¬ 
tinuation,)  extending  from  the  Till  nearly  to  Jebel 
’Araif  and  el-Mukrah,  and  drained  throughout  by  the 
Wady  el-Jerafeh;  which  having  its  head  in  or  near 
the  Till,  empties  into  the  ’Arabah  not  far  from  el- 
Mukrah.  North  of  this  last  basin,  the  tract  between 
the  ’Arabah  and  the  basin  of  the  ’Arish,  is  filled  up 
by  ranges  or  clusters  of  mountains ;  from  which  on 
the  East  short  Wadys  run  to  the  ’Arabah,  and  on  the 
West  longer  ones  to  Wady  el-’Arish ;  until  further 
North,  these  latter  continue  by  themselves  to  the  sea 
nearer  Gaza. 

Comparing  now  this  formation  of  the  northern 
desert  with  the  notices  already  given  respecting  the 
peninsula  of  Sinai,  we  obtain  a  more  distinct  view  of 
the  general  features  of  the  latter.  If  the  parallel  of 
the  northern  coast  of  Egypt  be  extended  eastward  to 
the  great  Wady  el-’Arabah,  it  appears  that  the  desert 
South  of  this  parallel,  rises  gradually  towards  the 
South,  until  on  the  summit  of  the  ridge  et-Tih,  between 
the  Gulfs  of  Suez  and  JAkabah,  it  attains  the  eleva¬ 
tion  of  4322  feet,  according  to  Russegger.  The  waters 
of  all  this  great  tract  flow  off  northward  either  to  the 
Mediterranean  or  the  Dead  Sea.  The  Till  forms  a 
sort  of  offset ;  and  along  its  southern  base  the  surface 
sinks  at  once  to  the  height  of  only  about  3000  feet, 
forming  the  sandy  plain  which  extends  nearly  across 
the  peninsula.  After  this  the  mountains  of  the  penin¬ 
sula  proper  commence,  and  rise  rapidly  through  the 
formations  of  sandstone,  grunstein,  porphyry,  and 
granite,  into  the  lofty  masses  of  St.  Catharine  and  Um 


Apr.  12.] 


WADY  ER-RUHAIBEH. 


295 


Shaumer  ;  the  former  of  which  lias  an  elevation  of  more 
than  8000  Paris  feet,  or  nearly  double  that  of  the  Tih. 
Here  the  waters  all  run  eastward  or  westward  to  the 
Gulfs  of  ’Akabah  and  Suez. 


Thursday ,  April  12 ih.  Our  ’Amran  guides  had 
been  engaged  only  as  far  as  to  Sheikh  el-’Amry,  which 
we  passed  yesterday ;  but  as  they  professed  to  he 
going  to  Gaza,  they  continued  with  us  to  Ruhaibeh, 
and  left  us  at  evening.  We  ourselves  had  been  long 
undecided  which  route  to  take  from  this  point.  But 
as  we  learned  that  there  were  no  places  of  importance 
on  the  Gaza  road ;  and  by  taking  it  we  should  pro¬ 
bably  arrive  a  day  later  at  Jerusalem ;  while  the  way 
by  Hebron  was  more  direct  and  apparently  passed  the 
sites  of  important  ancient  cities ;  we  determined  to 
follow  the  latter.  The  journey  of  yesterday  had  been 
one  of  deep  interest  to  us;  nor  did  that  of  to-day 
afford  results  less  unexpected  or  gratifying. 

Starting  at  5i  o’clock,  we  proceeded  on  a  general 
course  N.  E.  down  Wady  er-Ruhaibeh,  which  becomes 
broad  and  arable,  with  rounded  hills  on  either  side. 
After  three  quarters  of  an  hour  there  was  a  ruin  on 
the  hill  on  our  right,  a  square  tower  of  hewn  stones, 
with  a  large  heap  of  stones  adjoining.  A  small  Wady 
called  esh-Shutein  comes  in  at  this  point  from  the 
same  side  ;  and  on  the  hills  further  N.  we  saw  other 
heaps  of  squared  stones.  As  we  advanced,  the  valley 
became  quite  green  with  grass  ;  and  in  a  season  of 
ordinary  rain  would  be  verdant  and  full  of  luxuriant 
herbage.  The  birds  were  now  more  frequent,  warb¬ 
ling  forth  their  carols  and  lilting  the  air  with  melody. 
We  noticed  the  quail  with  his  whistle,  and  the  lark 
with  her  song  ;  besides  many  smaller  warblers.  In 
the  course  of  the  day,  we  heard  also  the  notes  of  the 


296 


FROM  ?AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


nightingale.  At  half  past  six  a  ruined  village  was 
on  the  left-hand  hill.  Five  minutes  later  we  left  Wady 
er-Ruhaibeh  running  N.  W.  to  join  Wady  el-Kurn; 
and  passed  up  a  small  side-valley,  Wady  el-Futeis. 
We  had  overtaken  a  straggling  family  of  the  Haweitat, 
with  three  or  four  camels,  travelling  on  our  route ;  and 
as  the  man  seemed  acquainted  with  the  country, 
having  often  been  here,  (as  he  said,)  we  engaged  him 
as  a  guide  as  far  as  to  the  vicinity  of  Hebron. 

Our  path  now  led  over  a  hill  and  down  another 
small  valley,  running  nearly  E.  N.  E.  towards  a  wide 
open  country,  which  spread  itself  out  on  every  side 
with  swelling  hills,  hut  no  mountains,  almost  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach.  Herbs  were  abundant ;  but  the 

C/  / 

scanty  grass  was  withered  and  parched.  Crossing  a 
tract  of  low  hills  extending  along  from  the  left,  we 
came  at  8h  20'  to  the  bed  of  Wady  el-Kurn.  This  is 
a  valley  or  plain  of  some  width,  with  a  water-course 
in  the  middle,  running  here  West,  and  then  N.  W.  and 
joining  the  Ruhaibeh.  As  we  approached  its  bed 
from  the  South,  we  perceived  a  wall  of  hewn  stone, 
extending  for  some  distance  obliquely  from  the  bed ; 
and  many  small  fragments  of  pottery  were  strewed 
over  the  soil.  We  halted  on  the  northern  hank  at  a 
fine  well,  surrounded  with  several  drinking-troughs  of 
stone  for  watering  camels  and  flocks.  The  well  is 
circular,  eight  or  ten  feet  in  diameter ;  and  measured 
twenty-seven  feet  in  depth  to  the  surface  of  the  water. 
It  is  very  neatly  stoned  up  with  good  masonry;  hut 
the  bottom  seemed  to  have  been  partly  filled  with 
rubbish.  The  water  was  slightly  brackish,  and  was 
said  never  to  fail.  Adjacent  to  this  well  the  ground 
was  strewed  with  ruins,  which  our  Arabs  called  el- 
Khulasah ;  in  which  name  we  could  not  but  recognise 
the  ancient  Elusa. 

These  ruins  cover  an  area  of  fifteen  or  twenty 


Apr.  12.] 


KHULASAHj  ELUSA. 


297 


acres,  throughout  which  the  foundations  and  enclo¬ 
sures  of  houses  are  distinctly  to  he  traced ;  and  squared 
stones  are  everywhere  thinly  scattered.  Toward  the 
western  side  are  two  open  places,  perhaps  open  squares 
of  the  ancient  city.  Several  large  heaps  of  hewn 
stones  in  various  parts  probably  mark  the  sites  of 
public  buildings ;  but  they  are  thrown  together  in  too 
much  confusion  to  be  easily  made  out.  Occasional 
fragments  of  columns  and  entablatures  were  visible. 
We  found  no  cisterns ;  the  city  having  been  apparently 
supplied  with  water  from  the  public  well.  The  space 
covered  by  the  ruins  is  at  least  one  third  greater  than 
that  at  Ruhaibeh ;  but  the  city  was  apparently  less 
compactly  built;  and  the  masses  of  ruins  are  much 
less  considerable.  The  limestone  is  here  softer,  and  is 
much  decayed  from  the  influence  of  the  weather ; 
many  of  the  blocks  being  eaten  through  and  through 
like  a  honey-comb.  In  this  way  probably  a  large  por¬ 
tion  of  the  materials  has  perished.  We  judged  that 
here  must  have  been  a  city  with  room  enough  for  a 
population  of  fifteen  or  twenty  thousand  souls. 

The  city  of  Elusa  lay  without  the  borders  of  Pa¬ 
lestine  ;  and  its  name  is  not  found  in  the  Bible.  It  is 
first  mentioned  by  Ptolemy  in  the  first  half  of  the 
second  century,  among  the  cities  of  Idumea,  West  of 
the  Dead  Sea ;  and  is  marked  in  the  Peutinger  Tables 
as  lying  on  the  Roman  road,  seventy-one  Roman  miles 
southward  from  Jerusalem.  This  distance  we  after¬ 
wards  travelled  in  twenty-six  hours  and  a  quarter,  at 
a  pace  somewhat  more  rapid  than  our  average  rate  ; 
affording  a  coincidence  near  enough  to  determine  the 
site,  even  if  the  name  were  not  decisive.1 

Profane  history  makes  no  further  mention  of  Elusa ; 
but  from  ecclesiastical  writers  we  learn,  that  although 
there  was  here  a  Christian  church  with  a  bishop,  yet 

1)  See  Note  XXIII,  end  of  the  volume. 

Vol.  I.  38 


298 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


the  city  was  chiefly  inhabited  by  heathen,  connected 
with  the  Saracens  of  the  adjacent  deserts.  Jerome  re¬ 
lates  of  St.  Hilarion,  that  travelling  with  a  company 
of  monks  into  the  desert  of  Kadesh,  he  came  to  Elusa 
just  as  an  annual  festival  had  collected  all  the  people 
in  the  temple  of  Venus;  whom  they  worshipped,  like 
the  Saracens,  in  conjunction  with  the  morning  star. 
The  town  itself,  he  says,  was  for  the  most  part  semi- 
barbarous.  As  an  episcopal  city,  Elusa  was  reckoned 
to  the  third  Palestine.  About  A.  D.  400,  the  son  of 
Nilus  was  brought  here  as  a  prisoner  from  Mount  Si¬ 
nai,  and  redeemed  by  the  bishop ;  as  has  been  already 
related  in  speaking  of  the  convent.1  The  names  of 
four  other  bishops  are  found  in  the  records  of  councils, 
as  late  as  to  A.  D.  536.  About  A.  D.  600,. Antoninus 
Martyr  appears  to  have  passed  from  Palestine  to  Sinai 
by  Elusa,  which  he  calls  Eulatia.  The  Notitiae  of  eccle¬ 
siastical  writers,  collected  by  Reland,  refer  to  nearly 
the  same  period.  From  that  time  onward  until  now,  an 
interval  of  more  than  eleven  centuries,  Elusa  has  re¬ 
mained  unmentioned,  and  its  place  unknown;  until 
we  were  thus  permitted  to  rescue  it  again  from  this 
long  oblivion.2 

Leaving  the  well  at  a  quarter  past  9  o’clock,  we 
proceeded  on  our  way,  on  a  course  N.  N.  E.  Of  Wady 
el-Kurn,  (sometimes  called  also  Wady  el-Khiilasah,) 
we  had  two  accounts.  Tuweileb  thought  that  after 
the  junction  of  the  Ruhaibeh  with  it,  the  two  form 
Wady  Khubarah,  which  enters  the  ’Arish.  This 
Wady,  the  Khubarah,  though  without  living  water,  is 
very  fertile,  and  yields  good  crops  of  grain  and  also  of 


1)  See  above,  p.  183. 

2)  See  in  general,  Reland  Pa- 
laest.  pp.  215,  218,223  ;  also  p.  755, 
seq.  Le  Q,uien  Oriens  Christ.  III. 
p.735.  I  tin.  AntoniniMart.  xxxv. — 
M.  Callier  passed  from  Hebron  to 


Dhoheriyeh,  and  thence  to  Wady 
Khulasah ;  but  he  appears  to  have 
struck  the  valley  at  a  point  further 
East.  Journal  des  Savans,  Jan. 
1836.  p.  47.  Nouv.  Annales  des 
Voyages,  1839.  Tom.  III.  p.  274. 


Apr.  12.] 


THE  PLANT  RETEM. 


299 


melons.  On  the  other  hand,  our  ’Amran  andHaweitat 
guides  affirmed,  that  the  united  Wady  receives  the 
Mur  tub  eh  further  down,  and  thus  forms  Wady  es-Suny, 
which  joins  the  Sheri’ah  near  the  sea  not  far  South  of 
Gaza.  Of  these  accounts  the  former,  from  the  con¬ 
struction  of  the  map,  seems  the  most  probable. — Our 
path  led  for  a  time  over  sandy  hills,  called  Rumeilet 
Hamid,  sprinkled  with  herbs  and  shrubs,  but  with  little 
grass.  The  shrubs  which  we  had  met  with  through¬ 
out  the  desert  still  continued.  One  of  the  principal  of 
these  is  the  Retem  already  mentioned,  a  species  of  the 
broom-plant,  Genista  raetam  of  Forsakl.  This  is  the 
largest  and  most  conspicuous  shrub  of  these  deserts, 
growing  thickly  in  the  water-courses  and  vallies.  Our 
Arabs  always  selected  the  place  of  encampment  (if 
possible)  in  a  spot  where  it  grew,  in  order  to  be  shel¬ 
tered  by  it  at  night  from  the  wind ;  and  during  the  day, 
when  they  often  went  on  in  advance  of  the  camels,  we 
found  them  not  unfrequently  silting  or  sleeping  under 
a  bush  of  Retem  to  protect  them  from  the  sun.  It  was 
in  this  very  desert,  a  day’s  journey  from  Beersheba, 
that  the  prophet  Elijah  lay  down  and  slept  beneath 
the  same  shrub.1 

We  came  at  10f  o’clock  to  a  broad  Wady,  with  a 
large  tract  of  grass,  called  el-Khuza’y.  As  we  advan¬ 
ced,  the  loose  sand  ceased,  and  the  country  exhibited 
more  grass  mingled  with  the  herbs.  At  llh  557  we 
crossed  the  bed  of  Wady  el-Miirtubeh,  a  wide  tract 
bearing  marks  of  much  water.  Just  before  reaching 
it  a  path  had  crossed  ours,  leading  to  water  in  the  same 
Wady  not  far  to  the  left,  in  pits  called  Themdil.  Low- 


1)  1  Kings  xix.  4,  5.  The  He¬ 
brew  name  tarn  rothem  is  the  same 
as  the  present  Arabic  name.  The 
Vulgate,  Luther,  English  Version, 
and  others,  translate  it  wrongly  by 
juniper.  The  roots  are  very  bit¬ 


ter;  and  are  regarded  by  the 
Arabs  as  yielding  the  best  char¬ 
coal.  This  illustrates  Job  xxx.  4, 
and  Ps.  cxx.  4.  Comp.  Burck- 
hardt,  p.  483. 


300 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


er  down,  this  Wady  receives  the  Khuza’y,  and  after¬ 
wards  unites  with  the  Kura,  as  above  described. 

Our  road  thus  far  had  been  among  swelling  hills  of 
moderate  height.  We  now  began  gradually  to  ascend 
others  higher,  but  of  the  same  general  character.  The 
herbs  of  the  desert  began  to  disappear,  and  the  hills 
were  thinly  covered  with  grass,  now  dry  and  parched. 
The  ascent  was  long  and  gradual.  We  reached  the 
top  at  a  quarter  past  1  o’clock  ;  and  looked  out  before 
us  over  a  broad  lower  tract ;  beyond  which  our  eyes 
were  greeted  with  the  first  sight  of  the  mountains  of 
Judah,  South  of  Hebron,  which  skirted  the  open 
country  and  bounded  the  horizon  in  the  East  and 
North  East.  We  now  felt  that  the  desert  was  at  an 
end.  Descending  gradually,  we  came  out  at  2  o’clock 
upon  an  open  undulating  country ;  the  shrubs  ceased, 
or  nearly  so;  green  grass  was  seen  along  the  lesser 
water-courses,  and  almost  green  sward;  while  the 
gentle  hills,  covered  in  ordinary  seasons  with  grass 
and  rich  pasture,  were  now  burnt  over  with  drought. 
Arabs  were  pasturing  their  camels  in  various  parts; 
but  no  trace  of  dwellings  was  anywhere  visible.  At 
2f  o’clock  we  reached  Wady  es-Seba’,  a  wide  water¬ 
course,  or  bed  of  a  torrent,  running  here  W.  S.  W.  to¬ 
wards  Wady  es-Suny.  Upon  its  northern  side,  close 
upon  the  bank,  are  two  deep  wells,  still  called  Bir  es- 
Seba’,  the  ancient  Beersheba.  We  had  entered  the 
borders  of  Palestine  ! 

These  wells  are  some  distance  apart ;  they  are  cir¬ 
cular,  and  stoned  up  very  neatly  with  solid  masonry, 
apparently  much  more  ancient  than  that  of  the  wells 
at  ’Abdeh.  The  larger  one  is  twelve  and  a  half  feet 
in  diameter,  and  forty-four  and  a  half  feet  deep  to  the 
surface  of  the  water;  sixteen  feet  of  which  at  the 
bottom  is  excavated  in  the  solid  rock.  The  other 
well  lies  fifty-five  rods  W.  S.  W.,  and  is  five  feet  in 


Apr.  12.] 


BEERSHEBA. 


.  301 


diameter  and  forty-two  feet  deep.  The  water  in 
both  is  pure  and  sweet,  and  in  great  abundance; 
the  finest  indeed  we  had  found  since  leaving  Sinai. 
Both  wells  are  surrounded  with  drinking-troughs  of 
stone  for  camels  and  flocks ;  such  as  were  doubtless 
used  of  old  for  the  flocks  which  then  fed  on  the  adja¬ 
cent  hills.  The  curb-stones  were  deeply  worn  by  the 
friction  of  the  ropes  in  drawing  up  water  by  hand.1 

We  had  heard  of  no  ruins  here,  and  hardly  ex¬ 
pected  to  find  any ;  for  none  were  visible  from  the 
wells ;  yet  we  did  not  wish  to  leave  so  important  a 
spot  without  due  examination.  Ascending  the  low 
hills  North  of  the  wells,  we  found  them  covered  with 
the  ruins  of  former  habitations,  the  foundations  of 
which  are  still  distinctly  to  be  traced,  although  scarcely 
one  stone  remains  upon  another.  The  houses  appear 
not  to  have  stood  compactly,  but  scattered  over  several 
little  hills  and  in  the  hollows  between.  They  seem  to 
have  been  built  chiefly  of  round  stones  ;  though  some 
of  the  stones  are  squared  and  some  hewn.  It  was  pro¬ 
bably  only  a  small  straggling  city.  This  very  expres¬ 
sion  I  wrote  in  pencil  on  the  spot ;  and  was  afterwards 
gratified  to  find  that  Eusebius  and  Jerome  both  de- 
scribe  it  only  as  a  “  large  village”  with  a  Roman 
garrison.2  We  could  find  no  special  traces  of  churches 
or  other  public  buildings  ;  although  one  or  two  larger 
heaps  of  stones  may  probably  have  been  such  edifices. 
These  ruins  are  spread  over  a  space  half  a  mile  in 


1)  The  Hebrew  name  Beer- 
sheba  signifies  “Well  of  the  Oath;” 
or  as  some  suppose,  “  Well  of  the 
Seven,”  referring  to  the  seven 
lambs  which  Abraham  gave  to 
Abimelech  in  token  of  the  oath  be¬ 
tween  them.  See  Gen.  xxi.  28 — 
32.  The  Arabic  name  Bir  es- 
Seba’  signifies  “Well  of  the  Sev¬ 
en,”  and  also  “Well  of  the 
Lion.” — Some  writers  have  re¬ 
garded  the  name  as  implying  .seven 


wells ;  but  without  the  slightest 
historical  or  other  ground.  On  the 
map  of  our  route  across  the  desert, 
published  in  the  Journal  of  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society  of 
London  for  1839,  a  similar  explan¬ 
ation  was  inserted  without  my 
knowledge. 

2)  Onomast.  art.  Bersabee. 
Euseb.  xw/A/rj  fitjyCorrj.  Jerome, 
“  vicus  grand  is.” 


302 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


length  along  the  northern  side  of  the  water-course  and 
extending  hack  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  F ragments  of 
pottery  are  scattered  over  the  whole. — On  the  S.  side 
of  the  water-course  is  a  long  wall  of  hewn  stone  under 
the  bank,  extending  for  several  hundred  feet,  appa¬ 
rently  intended  to  protect  the  bank  from  being  washed 
away  by  the  torrent.  Probably  gardens  or  some  im¬ 
portant  building  may  have  been  situated  on  the  bank 
above  ;  of  which  however  there  is  now  no  trace.  On 
the  same  side  are  several  heaps  of  stones;  and  the 
ground  is  also  strewed  with  small  fragments  of  pottery. 

Here  then  is  the  place  where  the  patriarchs  Abra¬ 
ham,  Isaac  and  Jacob  often  dwelt !  Here  Abraham 
dug  perhaps  this  very  well;  and  journied  from  hence 
with  Isaac  to  Mount  Moriah,  to  offer  him  up  there  in 
sacrifice.  From  this  place  Jacob  fled  to  Padan-Aram, 
after  acquiring  the  birthright  and  blessing  belonging 
to  his  brother ;  and  here  too  he  sacrificed  to  the  Lord 
on  setting  off  to  meet  his  son  Joseph  in  Egypt.  Here 
Samuel  made  his  sons  judges ;  and  from  here  Elijah 
wandered  out  into  the  southern  desert,  and  sat  down 
under  a  shrub  of  Retem,  just  as  our  Arabs  sat  down 
under  it  every  day  and  every  night.  Here  was  the 
border  of  Palestine  proper,  which  extended  from  Dan 
to  Beersheba.1  Over  these  swelling  hills  the  flocks 
of  the  patriarchs  once  roved  by  thousands ;  where  now 
we  found  only  a  few  camels,  asses,  and  goats  ! 

Beersheba  is  last  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament, 
as  one  of  the  places  to  which  the  Jews  returned  after 
the  exile.2  The  name  does  not  occur  in  the  New  Test¬ 
ament  ;  nor  is  it  referred  to  as  then  existing  by  any 
writer  earlier  than  Eusebius  and  Jerome  in  the  fourth 
century.  They  describe  it  as  a  large  village  with  a 

1)  See  Gen.  xxi.  31,  seq.  xxii.  2  Sam.  xvii.  11.  Compare  in  gene- 
19.  xxvi.  23.  xxviii.  10.  xlvi.  1.  ral,  Reland’s  Palaest.  p.  620. 

1  Sam.  viii.  2.  1  Kings  xix.  3.  2)  Neh.  xi.  27,  30. 


Apr.  12.] 


BEERSHEBA. 


303 


Roman  garrison.1  It  is  found  as  an  episcopal  city  in 
the  early  ecclesiastical  and  other  Notitiae  referring  to 
the  centuries  before  and  after  the  Muhammedan  con¬ 
quests;2  hut  none  of  its  bishops  are  anywhere  men¬ 
tioned.  Its  site  was  in  like  manner  long  forgotten; 
and  the  crusaders  assigned  this  name  to  the  place  now 
called  Beit  Jibrin,  lying  between  Hebron  and  Askelon.3 
About  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  century,  Sir  John 
Maundeville  and  also  Rudolf  de  Suchem  and  William 
de  Baldensel  passed  on  this  route  from  Sinai  to  Hebron 
and  Jerusalem ;  and  all  of  them  mention  here  Beer- 
sheba.  The  two  latter  say  it  was  then  uninhabited ; 
but  some  of  the  churches  were  still  standing.  From 
this  time  onward  for  five  centuries,  it  has  again 
remained  until  this  day  apparently  unvisited  and  un¬ 
known  ;  except  the  slight  notice  which  Seetzen  ob¬ 
tained  respecting  it  from  the  Arabs.4 

We  remained  nearly  an  hour  upon  this  interesting 
spot ;  where  all  that  is  now  to  he  seen,  lies  within  a 
very  narrow  compass.  Meantime  several  flocks  of 
goats  came  up  for  water;  or  perhaps  because  their 
keepers  wished  to  get  a  nearer  view  of  the  strangers. 
After  some  chaffering,  we  bought  a  kid  for  our  Arabs ; 
intending  to  give  them  a  good  supper,  inasmuch  as  we 
were  approaching  the  end  of  our  journey.  We  set  off 


1)  Onomast.  art.  Bersabee. — 
Josephus  indeed  mentions  a  Ber¬ 
sabee  among  the  towns  which  he 
fortified;  but  this  was  in  Galilee. 
B.  J.  II.  20.  6.  Vit.  37. 

2)  Reland’s  Pal.  pp.  215,  217, 
222,  229. 

3)  Will.  Tyr.  XIV.  22. 

4)  Zach’s  Monatl.  Corresp. 
XVII.  143.  At  the  time  of  our 
visit  I  was  under  the  impression, 
that  Seetzen  had  himself  been  at 
Beersheba.  But  he  went  from 
Hebron  first  to  the  vicinity  of 
Gaza ;  and  thence  direct  to  Sinai ; 
and  only  speaks  of  the  wells  of  Bir 


es-Seba’  as  being  several  hours 
E.  N.  E.  of  the  spot  where  he 
then  was. — Eusebius  and  Jerome 
place  Beersheba  at  twenty  Roman 
miles  from  Hebron  towards  the 
South.  This  is  a  striking  instance 
of  their  loose  and  vague  manner  of 
specifying  distances  and  bearings 
not  definitely  known  to  them.  We 
found  the  distance  from  Beersheba 
to  Hebron  to  be  a  good  12  hours 
with  camels  ;  equivalent  to  nearly 
25  G.  M.  or  more  than  30  Ro¬ 
man  miles,  on  a  general  course  N. 
E.  by  E.  Compare  Reland’s  Pal. 
p.  474,  seq. 


304  FROM  ’ARAB AH  TO  JERUSALEM.  [Sec.  V. 

again  at  3h  35',  on  a  course  N.  E.,  the  path  gradually 
ascending  oyer  an  open  tract,  which  in  ordinary  sea¬ 
sons  must  he  a  fine  grazing  country.  Not  a  precipice, 
not  a  tree,  was  to  he  seen ;  nothing  hut  grassy  hills. 
At  4h  25'  we  passed  the  site  of  a  village,  the  stone 
houses  of  which  had  heen  thrown  down  to  the  very 
foundation.  We  could  learn  no  name.  Ten  minutes 
later  we  encamped  in  this  open  tract,  for  the  first  time 
on  grass,  or  rather  what  had  once  heen  grass ;  for  it 
was  now  parched  and  brown.  Yet  it  was  something 
better  than  the  desert ;  where  hitherto  the  floor  of  our 
tent  had  always  heen  the  naked  sand  or  gravel. 

Our  Arabs  quickly  slaughtered  the  poor  goat;  and 
the  different  portions  were  speedily  in  the  process  of 
cooking  at  different  fires.  This  time  they  had  no 
guests,  hidden  or  unhidden,  to  interrupt  the  full  enjoy¬ 
ment  of  their  savoury  repast.  Such  probably  in  kind 
was  the  “savoury  meat”  which  Isaac  loved;  and 
with  which,  in  this  very  neighbourhood,  Jacob  enticed 
from  him  the  blessing  intended  for  his  elder  brother.1 
Our  Haweity  guide  had  brought  along  his  family,  with 
two  or  three  camels ;  and  to  them  the  offals  of  the  kid 
were  abandoned.  I  looked  in  upon  this  feast;  and 
found  the  women  boiling  the  stomach  and  entrails, 
which  they  had  merely  cleaned  by  stripping  them 
with  the  hand,  without  washing ;  while  the  head,  un¬ 
skinned  and  unopened,  was  roasting  underneath  in  the 
embers  of  a  fire  made  chiefly  of  camels’  dung.  With 
such  a  meal  our  Tawarah  would  hardly  have  been 
content.  Indeed  all  the  Bedawin  we  had  yet  met 
with  out  of  the  peninsula,  the  ’Am ran,  the  Haiwat, 
the  Haweitat,  and  the  Tiyahah,  were  obviously  upon 
a  lower  scale  of  civilization  than  the  Tawarah ;  and 
seemed  little  if  any  further  removed  from  savage  life, 
than  the  red  man  of  the  American  w  ilds. 


1)  Gen.  xxvii.  9,  seq. 


! 


Apr.  13.]  THE  HAWEITAT.  305 

Our  guide  of  the  Haweitat  was  from  the  country 
East  of  the  Gulf  of  ’Akabah  and  North  of  the  Haj- 
route.  Like  so  many  others  of  his  tribe,  he  had  been 
driven  out  by  the  drought;  and  had  wandered  off 
hither  to  the  South  of  Syria  in  search  of  pasture.  We 
afterwards  found  similar  wanderers  in  the  district 
around  Wady  Musa.  He  said  that  in  his  country  there 
were  many  ruined  towns,  which  had  never  yet  been 
“  written  down.”  His  tribe  have  no  horses ;  not  one 
of  them,  not  even  the  Sheikh,  can  read ;  nor  did  he 
know  of  any  Bedawy  who  could.  When  the  Hawei¬ 
tat  of  that  region  receive  letters,  they  apply  to  the 
Arabs  Hudfir ,  “  townsmen,”  of  Muweilih  to  have  them 
read.  These  Haweitat  are  at  enmity  with  the 
Arabs  of  Khaibar. — This  guide,  as  well  as  our  other 
Arabs,  called  the  wind  we  had  yesterday  Shurklyeh , 
an  East  wind,  although  it  blew  from  the  South.1  The 
Simoom,  they  said,  differs  from  it  only  in  its  greater 
heat;  the  haze  and  sand  and  discoloration  of, the  air 
being  alike  in  both.  Should  it  overtake  a  traveller  with¬ 
out  water,  it  may  in  certain  circumstances  prove  fatal 
to  him.  He  needs  water  not  only  to  drink ;  ut  it  is 
well  to  wash  the  skin.  The  Simoom,  they  said,  pre¬ 
vails  only  during  the  season  when  the  Khamsin  blows 
in  Egypt.  This  is  during  the  months  of  April  and 
May.2 

Friday ,  April  13 th.  We  started  at  5h  25',  and  in 
live  minutes  crossed  a  track  leading  off  N.  by  W.  to 
the  well  of  Khuweilifeh,  situated  in  a  Wady  of  the 
same  name  on  the  road  from  Hebron  by  Dhoheriyeh 
to  Gaza.  It  was  described  to  us  as  similar  to  the 
smaller  well  at  Bir  es-Seba’.3  Fifteen  minutes  more 

1)  This  name  Shurkiyeh  sug-  2)Lane’sMod.Egypt.  I.pp.  2,3. 
gests  an  obvious  etymology  of  the  3)  See  more  respecting  this  well 
Italian  word  sirocco.  under  date  ot  June  7th. 


VOL.  I. 


39 


306 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


brought  us  out  upon  a  wide  open  grassy  plain,  suffer¬ 
ing  greatly  indeed  from  drought,  but  in  which  many 
fields  of  wheat  were  scattered,  looking  beautifully  in 
their  vesture  of  bright  green.  The  ground  too  was  in 
many  places  decked  with  flowers ;  among  them  were 
an  abundance  of  low  scarlet  poppies.  The  morning 
was  lovely ;  the  sky  perfectly  serene,  with  a  refresh¬ 
ing  breeze  from  the  S.  West ;  the  air  full  of  the  sweet 
carols  of  birds.  Thus  we  spent  our  first  morning  in  Pales¬ 
tine.  It  was  a  delightful  entrance  to  the  Promised  Land. 

The  plain  over  which  we  now  travelled  on  a  course 
N.  E.  by  E.  has  an  undulating  surface,  and  extends 
very  far  towards  the  S.  E.  No  shrubs  nor  trees  were 
visible ;  nothing  but  grass  and  flowers  and  green  fields. 
It  reminded  me  of  the  vast  plains  of  northern  Germany. 
On  the  East  and  North  were  hills  and  ridges,  the  be¬ 
ginning  of  the  mountains  of  Judah,  forming  an  angle 
in  the  N.  E.  towards  which  our  course  led.  The  plain 
was  much  cut  up  by  deep  gullies  with  precipitous 
banks,  mostly  running  towards  the  left,  worn  by  the 
wintry  torrents.  At  6h  ICf  a  track  went  off  to  the 
left  towards  the  N.  to  a  place  where  the  Bedawin 
have  their  magazines  of  grain,  called  Nuttar  el-Luki- 
yeh.  About  7  o’clock  we  crossed  a  Wady  running  N. 
Westerly  through  the  plain;  it  was  said  to  be  the 
Khuweilifeh,  which  after  passing  the  well  of  that  name, 
bends  round  to  join  the  Wady  Seba’.  We  had  how¬ 
ever  some  doubt  as  to  the  correctness  of  this  informa¬ 
tion. 

Ten  minutes  later  we  crossed  the  road  leading 
from  Gaza  to  Wady  Musa  and  Ma’an.  According  to 
our  Haweity  guide,  it  unites  with  the  road  from  He¬ 
bron  at  or  near  a  well  called  el-Milh,  and  then  divides 
and  descends  to  the  ’Arabah  by  two  passes  called  el- 
Gharib  and  er-Rakib.  We  learned  more  of  this  road 
at  a  later  period ;  but  heard  nothing  further  of  this 


Apr.  13.]  APPROACH  TO  THE  MOUNTAINS  OF  JUDAH.  307 

latter  pass.1  As  we  advanced,  the  hills  from  the  N. 
W.  approached  more  and  more  to  meet  those  upon  the 
East;  and  a  small  Wady  was  visible  descending  from 
the  angle.  At  8h  20'  a  path  went  off  to  the  right, 
which  was  said  to  lead  to  a  village  in  the  mountains. 
At  three  quarters  past  eight,  the  plain  terminated ;  we 
gan  to  get  among  the  hills,  and  entered  the  Wady 
above  mentioned,  which  our  Arabs  chose  to  call  Wady 
el-Khulil ;  hut  whether  for  any  other  reason  than  be¬ 
cause  it  was  leading  us  towards  el-Khulil  or  Hebron, 
is  doubtful.  In  this  valley  were  fields  of  grain ;  and  half 
an  hour  after  entering  it,  we  found  a  man  ploughing 
with  two  heifers  in  order  to  sow  millet.  His  plough 
was  very  simple,  and  by  English  and  American  farm¬ 
ers  would  he  called  rude.  Yet  it  did  its  work  well, 
and  was  of  a  much  lighter  and  better  construction  than 
the  coarse  plough  of  Egypt.  The  ancient  form  is  not 
improbably  still  preserved. 

We  now  began  to  ascend  more  rapidly;  the  lime¬ 
stone  hills  on  each  side  became  rocky  and  higher,  and 
were  green  with  grass  ;  while  low  trees  were  occasion¬ 
ally  scattered  over  them.  Among  these  the  Butm,  Pis- 
tacia  Terebinthus  of  Linnaeus,  the  Terebinth  of  the  Old 
Testament,  was  the  most  frequent.  We  noticed  here 
red  clover  growing  wild  along  our  path.  At  9J  o’clock 
we  reached  the  head  of  the  valley,  and  came  out  upon 
a  ridge,  from  which  a  very  steep  descent  brought  us 
to  the  bottom  of  another  deep  and  narrow  Wady  com¬ 
ing  down  from  the  N.  E.  This  latter  here  turned  short 
towards  the  S.  E.  We  could  learn  neither  its  name, 
nor  in  what  direction  its  waters  were  ultimately  car¬ 
ried  off;  but  we  afterwards  found  that  it  joins  the 
great  valley  which  passes  down  further  East  from 
near  Hebron  to  Wady  es-Seba’.  Our  path  now  follow- 


1)  See  under  date  of  June  2d  and  3d. 


308  FROM  5  ARAB  AH  TO  JERUSALEM.  [Sec.  V. 

ed  up  this  Wady,  still  on  a  general  course  N.  E.  by  E. 
It  is  quite  narrow  and  winds  much  among  the 
hills ;  so  that  it  seemed  to  he  almost  interminable. 
The  sides  were  rocky,  hut  clothed  with  grass  and  the 
shrub  Bellan,  a  sort  of  furze.  Here  we  met  several 
wild  savage-looking  Arabs  ;  and  further  on,  a  man  on 
horseback,  the  first  we  had  seen  since  leaving  Egypt. 
He  was  on  a  sleek  mare,  which  brought  him  rapidly 
down  the  steep  rocky  side  of  one  of  the  hills.  The 
bottom  of  the  valley  in  its  steeper  parts  was  formerly 
laid  off  into  terraces,  of  which  the  massive  walls  still 
remain  ;  hut  nothing  more.  After  some  time  flocks  of 
sheep  and  goats  mingled  together  were  seen  feeding 
on  the  hills ;  and  we  fell  in  with  other  flocks  consisting 
of  young  kids  alone.  Not  long  after,  we  came  upon 
herds  of  neat  cattle  and  donkies  grazing;  and  at  length, 
at  a  quarter  past  11  o’clock,  got  sight  of  the  village  of 
edh-Dhoheriyeh  on  the  summit  of  a  hill  terminating 
the  Wady,  the  head  of  which  here  opens  out  into  a 
green  basin.  This  and  the  hills  around  were  covered 
with  flocks  and  neat  cattle  in  the  ancient  patriarchal 
style,  with  many  horses,  asses,  and  camels,  all  in  fine 
order ;  and  affording  to  us  a  most  pleasing  prospect, 
after  having  been  for  thirty  days  confined  to  the  dreary 
nakedness  of  the  desert.  We  reached  Dhoheriyeh  at 
llh  35'. 

Our  Tawarah  Arabs  had  always  said,  that  they 
could  take  us  only  as  far  as  to  this  village,  the  first  on 
this  road  within  the  borders  of  Syria, 
presented  it  too  as  being  very  near  to  Hebron.  The 
Bedawin  never  bring  travellers  or  loads  further  than 
this  point ;  as  the  inhabitants,  living  on  the  great  road 
from  Hebron  to  Gaza  and  Egypt,  have  the  monopoly 
of  transporting  all  goods  and  passengers  that  come  by 
way  of  the  desert.  Our  first  object  therefore  was  to 
obtain  the  means  of  proceeding  without  delay  to 


They  had  re- 


Apr.  13.] 


DHOHEMYEH. 


309 


Hebron ;  the  day  being  not  yet  half  spent.  We  sought 
for  the  Sheikh  of  the  village,  hut  he  was  absent.  The 
person  who  acted  for  him,  we  found  sitting  with  a 
number  of  the  inhabitants.  He  informed  us  that  we 
could  obtain  no  animals  until  the  next  day ;  when 
they  would  engage  to  take  us  through  to  Jerusalem. 
To  all  our  pressing  solicitations  to  be  sent  forward 
immediately,  they  turned  a  deaf  ear ;  probably  because 
they  did  not  wish  to  stop  for  the  night  with  us  at 
Hebron ;  but  they  said  our  Arabs  might  go  on  with 
us,  if  they  would.  This  we  then  proposed;  but  the 
Tawarah  said  they  were  strangers  here,  and  feared 
that  if  they  went  to  Hebron  their  camels  would  be 
pressed  for  the  service  of  the  government ;  a  thing  not 
at  all  unusual,  as  we  knew.  We  now  tried  to  ascer¬ 
tain  the  distance  to  Hebron ;  thinking  we  could  per¬ 
haps  send  one  of  our  servants  thither  and  obtain 
animals.  Some  said  it  was  three,  some  four,  and  some 
live  hours  distant;  nor  was  it  till  we  had  actually 
travelled  over  the  ground  ourselves,  that  we  arrived 
at  any  certainty ;  and  then  we  found  the  largest  esti¬ 
mate  correct. — Under  all  the  circumstances,  much  as 
we  wished  to  get  on,  we  felt  compelled  to  have  the 
camels  unloaded,  and  the  tent  pitched.  This  was 
done  for  the  first  time  on  gree?i  grass,  and  among 
olive-trees,  in  the  basin  just  below  the  village  on  the 
S.  E.  Our  intention  was  to  pay  off  and  dismiss  our 
Tawarah ;  and  then,  if  possible,  obtain  animals  from 
Hebron. 

We  found  no  difficulty  in  satisfying  all  our  Arabs, 
whose  camels  had  brought  loads  from  the  convent ; 
but  an  unexpected  question  arose  in  the  case*  of 
Tuweileb.  We  had  regarded  him  merely  as  taking 
the  place  of  Besharah,  as  head  of  the  party  and  guide  ; 
which,  according  to  the  express  stipulation  of  our 
contract,  he  was  to  do  without  additional  expense  to 


310 


FROM  5  ARAB  AH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


us,  except  such  slight  presents  as  we  might  choose  to 
give  him.  I  have  already  mentioned,  that  he  had 
brought  with  him  two  extra  camels,  apparently  for 
himself  and  children ;  one  of  which  had  been  taken 
into  our  service  at  ’Akabah,  instead  of  a  camel  which 
had  died  by  the  way.  But  his  views,  it  seems,  in 
entering  upon  the  journey,  had  been  different  from 
ours ;  and  Besharah  had  told  him,  that  we  would  take 
him  as  Sheikh  of  the  party,  and  pay  him  the  hire  of  a 
dromedary  for  himself ;  or  rather,  would  make  him  an 
equivalent  and  generous  present.  Thus  the  animal, 
which  all  along  upon  the  journey  had  been  nothing 
more  than  a  broken  dowm  camel,  was  now  suddenly 
transformed  into  the  dromedary  of  a  Sheikh.  We  had 
already  paid  him  enough,  as  we  supposed ;  hut  this 
was  a  higher  claim,  touching  his  honour  as  a  Sheikh 
and  as  a  Bedawy.  He  had  been  understood  to  come 
as  the  Sheikh  of  our  party  ;  he  had  consented  that  his 
dromedary  should  bear  a  burden  for  our  accommoda¬ 
tion  ;  and  now  both  he  and  his  dromedary  would  he 
forever  degraded  in  the  eyes  of  his  tribe,  unless  w7e 
made  him  a  fitting  present  for  a  Sheikh.  To  all  this 
we  had  nothing  to  reply,  except  the  words  of  our  con¬ 
tract,  which  he  could  not  read.  We  cut  the  matter 
short  at  last,  by  giving  him  our  old  pistols,  which  he 
had  usually  paraded  in  his  girdle  on  the  way,  and 
which  we  had  bought  for  a  trifle  in  Cairo.  With  this 
present  he  seemed  highly  gratified.  But  we  were  not 
sure  that  he  did  not  immediately  sell  the  pistols  in  the 
village  ;  where  fire-arms  were  sought  with  avidity,  in 
consequence  of  the  disarming  of  the  people  by  the 
Egyptian  government. 

We  had  on  the  whole  been  much  pleased  wTith 
Tuweileb ;  although,  as  I  have  already  remarked,  he 
had  seen  his  best  days,  and  for  much  of  the  time  had 
been  quite  unwell.  He  was  uniformly  kind,  patient, 

\ 


Apr.  13.] 


DHOHERIYEH. 


311 


accommodating,  and  faithful ;  and  until  now  had  shown 
himself  less  a  beggar  than  his  companions.  He  gave 
us  his  adieu  by  repeatedly  kissing  each  on  both  cheeks, 
in  addition  to  the  usual  kiss  of  the  hand.  We  parted 
with  our  Tawarah  Arabs  with  regret  and  with  the 
kindest  feelings.  For  thirty  days  they  had  now  been 
our  companions  and  guides  through  the  desert ;  and 
not  the  slightest  difficulty  had  arisen  between  us.  On 
the  contrary,  they  had  done  all  in  their  power  to  lighten 
the  toils  of  our  journey,  and  protect  us  from  discom¬ 
forts  by  the  way.  In  all  our  subsequent  journey ings, 
we  found  no  guides  so  faithful  and  devoted. 

By  this  time  it  was  too  late  to  think  of  reaching 
Hebron.  We  therefore  sent  and  engaged  camels  for 
Jerusalem,  to  take  us  and  our  luggage  at  midnight, 
and  reach  the  Holy  City  before  the  next  evening. 
The  journey  through  the  desert  had  made  such  inroads 
upon  our  stores,  that  the  Sheikh  of  the  camels 
required  us  to  take  only  six,  instead  of  the  nine  which 
had  brought  us  thus  far.  They  were  however  much 
larger  and  stouter  than  those  of  the  Bedawin. 

The  village  of  Dhoheriyeh  lies  high,  and  is  visible 
from  a  great  distance  in  every  direction.  It  is  a  rude 
assemblage  of  stone  hovels ;  many  of  which  are  half 
under  ground,  and  others  broken  down.  A  castle  or 
fortress  apparently  once  stood  here ;  the  remains  of  a 
square  tower  are  still  to  be  seen,  now  used  as  a  dwell¬ 
ing  ;  and  the  door-ways  of  many  hovels  are  of  hewn 
stone  with  arches.  It  would  seem  to  have  been  one 
of  the  line  of  small  fortresses,  which  apparently  once 
existed  all  along  the  southern  border  of  Palestine. 
The  village  contains,  according  to  the  government 
census,  one  hundred  full-grown  men ;  of  wdiom  thirty- 
eight  had  been  taken  at  three  separate  times  for  the 
Egyptian  army.  Though  half  in  ruins,  it  is  yet  rich 
in  flocks  and  herds,  and  has  at  least  a  hundred  camels. 


312  FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM.  [Sec.  V. 

The  inhabitants  are  Hiidhr,  or  townsmen ;  and  belong 
to  the  party  called  Keis.  Most  of  the  villagers  in  this 
quarter  are  of  this  party ;  as  well  as  some  of  the 
Bedawin. 

The  country  around  looks  barren ;  the  limestone 
rocks  come  out  in  large  blocks  and  masses  upon  the 
sides  and  tops  of  the  hills ;  and  give  a  whitish  cast  to 
the  whole  landscape.  No  trees  were  visible ;  nor  any 
fields  of  grain,  except  in  the  bottoms  of  the  narrow 
vallies.  Indeed  the  aspect  of  the  whole  region  was 
stern  and  dreary.  Yet  it  must  be  a  fine  grazing  coun¬ 
try  ;  as  is  proved  by  the  fat  and  sleek  condition  of  the 
herds  and  flocks ;  and  by  its  having  been,  from  the 
days  of  Abraham  onward,  a  place  of  resort  for  noma¬ 
dic  herdsmen. 

Towards  evening  we  went  to  the  top  of  a  hill  just 
East  of  our  tent ;  but  could  see  nothing  all  around 
save  rocky  hills  and  swells.  On  one  of  these  in  the 
direction  E.  by  S.  was  a  ruined  castle ;  which  proved 
to  be  SemiYa,  on  the  road  from  Wady  Musa  to  Hebron. 
In  its  immediate  vicinity,  the  Arabs  said  there  were 
two  other  like  ruins  ;  one  called  ’Attir,  and  the  other 
Husn  el-Ghurab.  Of  the  latter  we  heard  no  more ; 
but  saw  the  former  place  as  we  afterwards  returned 
from  Wady  Musa  through  SemiVa. 

During  the  evening  we  lay  down  and  slept.  At 
the  rising  of  the  moon,  about  10  o’clock,  the  camels 
came,  and  we  fixed  the  time  for  loading  at  half-past 
twelve ;  not  wishing  to  reach  Hebron  before  day. 
They  all,  camels  and  men,  lay  down  upon  the  ground, 
and  were  soon  in  deep  sleep.  My  companions  also  lay 
down ;  while  I  sat  up  alone  to  watch  during  the  few 
hours  that  yet  remained. 

Saturday ,  April  14 th.  Half  an  hour  after  mid¬ 
night  we  mustered  again,  and  set  to  work  on  the  lug¬ 
gage  ;  but  such  was  the  inefficiency  and  stupidity  of 


Apr.  14]  DHOHERIYEH  TO  HEBRON,  313 

our  new  camel-drivers,  that  nearly  two  hours  elapsed, 
before  we  could  mount.  One  camel  proved  refractory 
and  refused  its  load ;  and  another  had  to  be  brought 
from  the  village  in  its  stead.  We  started  at  length  at 
2J  o’clock ;  but  in  descending  the  long  and  steep  hill 
from  the  village,  we  were  delayed  nearly  three  quar¬ 
ters  of  an  hour  by  the  necessity  of  repacking  one  of 
the  loads ;  and  this  with  various  other  hindrances, 
caused  us  to  lose  not  less  than  an  hour  upon  the  way. 
The  course  from  Dhoheriyeh  to  Hebron,  as  we  after¬ 
wards  found  by  observation,  is  N.  54°  E.  The  hill 
we  first  descended  is  very  steep  and  rocky ;  and  the 
path  winds  down  among  the  stones.  It  brought  us  to 
the  bottom  of  a  deep  valley,  running  towards  the 
right,  probably  to  the  great  Wady  which  drains  the 
region  around  Hebron.  The  road  continued  to  wind 
among  vallies  and  over  hills ;  but  the  darkness  pre¬ 
vented  us  from  observing  much  of  the  country.  The 
hills,  we  could  see,  began  to  be  covered  with  shrubs ; 
and  these  increased  as  we  advanced,  and  were  inter¬ 
mingled  with  evergreen  or  prickly  oaks,  arbutus,  and 
other  dwarf  trees  and  bushes.  At  half-past  five  there 
was  a  spring  of  living  water ;  the  first  we  had  seen. 

As  the  sun  rose  we  heard  upon  the  left  the  bleating 
of  flocks  and  the  crowing  of  cocks,  as  if  from  a  village. 
On  inquiring,  we  were  told  that  there  was  none ;  but 
a  company  of  peasants  were  living  there  in  caves, 
pasturing  their  flocks.  In  summer,  it  was  said,  a  large 
portion  of  the  peasantry  leave  their  villages,  and 
dwell  in  caves  or  ruins,  in  order  to  be  nearer  to  their 
flocks  and  fields.  At  6h  10'  there  was  another  foun¬ 
tain  with  a  square  reservoir  below  it  on  the  right ; 
and  ten  minutes  further  on,  a  running  brook,  the  first 
we  had  seen  since  leaving  the  Nile.  This  was  in  a 
Wady  called  ed-Dilbeh,  running  oil  to  the  right,  and 

Vol.  I.  40 


314  from  ’akabah  to  Jerusalem.  {Sec.  V. 

partially  cultivated.  Near  by  was  the  site  of  a  ruined 
village,  called  ed-Daumeh. 

The  camels  we  now  had,  were  huge,  fat,  and 
powerful,  each  stronger  than  any  two  of  our  former 
Bedawin  animals.  At  the  same  time  they  were  harder 
in  their  gait,  treading  more  firmly,  from  being  accus¬ 
tomed  to  carry  only  burdens  and  not  to  travel  as 
dromedaries.  Two  of  the  owners  had  started  with 
us ;  hut  soon  abandoned  us  under  the  pretext  of 
speedily  returning,  leaving  us  and  their  animals  to  the 
care  of  two  ordinary  camel-drivers  and  a  young 
Nubian  slave,  who  all  knew  nothing  of  the  country 
except  what  lay  just  upon  the  road.  As  we  advanced, 
the  hills  were  more  thickly  clothed  with  bushes,  and 
covered  with  great  quantities  of  the  Za’ter,  a  species 
or  thyme,  scented  almost  like  halm,  and  used  in  cook¬ 
ing.  At  7h  20'  we  left  the  direct  road  to  Jerusalem, 
which  passes  on  the  left  of  Hebron,  and  turned  some¬ 
what  more  to  the  right.  Crossing  a  ridge  we  came 
at  a  quarter  before  8  o’clock  to  a  little  valley  with 
many  olive-trees  and  enclosed  vineyards,  indicating  our 
approach  to  a  land  of  higher  cultivation.  The  region 
around  Hebron  abounds  with  vineyards,  and  the 
grapes  are  the  finest  in  Palestine.  Each  vineyard  has 
a  small  house  or  tower  of  stone,  which  serves  for  a 
keeper’s  lodge ;  and,  during  the  vintage,  we  were  told 
that  the  inhabitants  of  Hebron  go  out  and  dwell  in 
these  houses,  and  the  town  is  almost  deserted.  In  this 
little  valley  every  thing  looked  thrifty ;  and  round 
about  were  large  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats,  all  in 
good  condition. 

Ascending  gradually  another  ridge,  we  at  length 
from  its  top  saw  Hebron,  now  called  el-Khulil,  below 
us  in  a  deep  narrow  valley  running  from  N.  N.  W.  to 
S.  S.  E.  into  the  great  Wady  which  flows  off  to  Wady 


Apr.  14.] 


HEBRON. 


315 


es-Seba’.  The  spot  where  we  were,  affords  one  of 
the  best  views  of  the  place.  The  town  lies  low  down 
on  the  sloping  sides  of  this  valley,  chiefly  on  the  east¬ 
ern  ;  but  in  the  southern  part  extends  across  also  to  the 
western  side.  The  houses  are  all  of  stone,  high  and 
well  built,  with  windows  and  flat  roofs ;  and  on  these 
roofs  small  domes,  sometimes  two  or  three  to  each 
house;  a  mode  of  building  apparently  peculiar  to 
Judea,  for  I  do  not  remember  to  have  seen  it  further 
North  than  Nabulus.  This  gave  to  the  city  in  our 
eyes  a  new  and  rather  striking  aspect ;  and  the  whole 
appearance  was  much  better  than  I  had  anticipated. 
We  descended  from  the  West  into  the  valley  by  a 
very  rocky  path ;  and  halted  at  Si  o’clock  on  the 
green  slope  overagainst  the  northern  part  of  the  town  ; 
which  is  partly  occupied  as  a  cemetery.  We  had  thus 
found  the  distance  from  Dhoheriyeh  to  Hebron  to  be 
five  hours  of  travel. 

We  had  now  reached  a  most  interesting  point  in 
our  journey.  The  town  before  us  was  one  of  the  most 
ancient  still  existing  cities  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures, 
or  perhaps  in  the  records  of  the  world.1  Here  Abra¬ 
ham  and  the  other  patriarchs  dwelt  and  communed 
with  God ;  and  in  this  vicinity  they  and  their  wives 
were  buried.  Here  too  had  been  for  seven  years  the 
royal  residence  of  David ;  and  before  us  was  the  pool 
in  Hebron,  over  which  he  hanged  up  the  murderers 
of  his  rival  Ishbosheth.2  In  Hebron  too  he  probably 
composed  many  of  his  Psalms,  which  yet  thrill  through 
the  soul  and  lift  it  up  to  God.  Our  minds  were  deeply 
affected  by  all  these  associations,  and  we  would  fain 
have  devoted  the  day  to  a  closer  examination  of  the 
place.  But  the  strong  desire  we  felt  of  reaching  J  eru¬ 
salem  before  night,  and  thus  closing  our  long  and 


1)  Gen.  xiii.  18. 


2)  2  Sam.  iv.  12. 


316 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V- 


wearisome  journey ;  together  with  the  expectation  we 
cherished  of  revisiting  Hebron  at  a  later  time ;  induced 
us  to  forego  all  other  considerations,  and  press  forward 
as  soon  as  possible  to  Jerusalem.  Nearly  six  weeks 
afterwards  we  spent  several  days  in  Hebron  ;  and  I 
therefore  defer  a  fuller  account  of  the  city  and  its 
neighbourhood  until  that  time.1 

Taking  a  hasty  ramble  through  the  streets  of  He¬ 
bron,  we  were  again  upon  our  way  at  9J  o’clock,  after 
a  stop  of  a  single  hour.  The  road  to  Jerusalem  is 
rough  and  mountainous,  but  very  direct ;  the  general 
course  being  between  N.  E.  by  N.  and  N.  N.  E.  As 
we  issued  from  the  town,  the  path  for  a  short  distance 
was  full  of  mud  and  puddles  from  a  spring  near  by ; 
and  to  us,  coming  out  of  the  desert,  this  was  quite  a 
refreshing  sight.  The  road  leads  up  the  valley  for  a 
short  time  ;  and  then  up  a  branch  coming  from  the  N. 
E.  The  path  is  here  paved  ;  or  rather  laid  unevenly 
with  large  stones,  in  the  manner  of  a  Swiss  mountain 
road.  It  passes  between  the  walls  of  vineyards  and 
olive-yards  ;  the  former  chiefly  in  the  valley,  and  the 
latter  on  the  slopes  of  the  hills,  which  are  in  many 
parts  built  up  in  terraces.  These  vineyards  are  very 
fine,  and  produce  the  largest  and  best  grapes  in  all 
the  country.  This  valley  is  generally  assumed  to  be 
the  Eslicoi  of  the  Old  Testament,  whence  the  spies 
brought  back  the  cluster  of  grapes  to  Kadesh;*and 
apparently  not  without  reason.  The  character  of  its 
fruit  still  corresponds  to  its  ancient  celebrity;  and 
pomegranates  and  figs,  as  well  as  apricots,  quinces, 
and  the  like,  still  grow  there  in  abundance.2 

1)  See  under  May  24  and  25.  Aner,  Eshcol,  and  Mamre.  Now 

2)  Num.  xiii.  23.  The  situation  Mamre  gave  his  name  to  the  tere- 
of  Eshcol  is  not  specified  in  this  binth  near  Hebron,  by  which  Abra- 
passage.  But  in  Gen.  xiv.  24,  we  ham  dwelt  (Gen.  xiii.  18)  ;  and  in 
are  told  that  Abraham  in  his  pur-  like  manner,  the  name  of  the  valley 
suit  of  the  four  kings  from  Hebron,  was  not  improbably  derived  from 
was  accompanied  by  his  friends  that  of  his  companion  Eshcol. 


Apr.  14.] 


ENVIRONS  OF  HEBRON. 


317 


This  road  bears  every  mark  of  having  always 
been  a  great  high-way  between  Hebron  and  Jerusa¬ 
lem.  It  is  direct ;  and  in  many  parts  artificially  made, 
evidently  in  times  of  old.  But  wheels  certainly  never 
passed  here;  the  hills  are  too  sharp  and  steep,  and 
the  surface  of  the  ground  too  thickly  strewn  with 
rocks,  to  admit  of  the  possibility  of  vehicles  being  used 
in  this  mountainous  region,  without  the  toilsome  con¬ 
struction  of  artificial  roads,  such  as  never  yet  existed 
here.  Indeed  we  nowhere  read  of  wheeled  carriages 
in  connection  with  the  country  south  of  Jerusalem  ; 
except  where  Joseph  is  said  to  have  sent  waggons  to 
bring  down  his  father  Jacob  into  Egypt.  These  came 
to  Hebron;  and  Jacob  travelled  with  them  thence  to 
Beersheba.1  We  had  this  circumstance  in  mind  on  our 
journey  from  Beersheba  to  Hebron;  and  long  before 
reaching  Dhoheriyeh,  we  were  convinced,  that  wag¬ 
gons  for  the  patriarch  could  not  have  passed  by  that 
route.  Still,  by  taking  a  more  circuitous  course  up 
the  great  Wady  el-Khulil,  more  to  the  right,  they 
might  probably  reach  Hebron  through  the  vallies 
without  great  difficulty. 

In  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour  we  came  to  the 
head  of  the  valley ;  the  vineyards  ceased ;  we  came 
out  upon  an  open  tract,  having  on  our  left  at  10  o’clock 
the  ruins  of  a  village  once  inhabited  by  Christians, 
now  called  Khurbet  el-Nusarah.  The  inhabitants,  it 
was  said,  were  massacred  by  the  Muslims  ;  and  now 
there  are  no  Christians  in  all  the  province  of  Hebron, 

At  one  hour  from  Hebron  a  blind  path  went  off  to 
the  right  at  right  angles,  leading  to  TeluVa ;  and  on  it, 
about  five  minutes’  walk  from  our  road,  are  the  foun¬ 
dations  of  an  immense  building,  which  excited  our 
curiosity.  We  ran  thither  on  foot,  leaving  our  beasts 


1)  Gen.  xlv.  19,  21,  27.  xlvi.  1. 


318 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


to  proceed  slowly  ;  and  found  the  substructions  of  an 
edifice,  which  would  seem  to  have  been  commenced 
on  a  large  scale,  hut  never  completed.  They  consist 
of  two  walls  apparently  of  a  large  enclosure ;  one 
facing  towards  the  S.  W.  two  hundred  feet  long ;  and 
the  other  at  right  angles  facing  N.  W.  one  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  long,  with  a  space  left  in  the  middle  of 
it  as  if  for  a  portal.  There  are  only  two  courses  of 
hewn  stones  above  ground,  each  three  feet  four  in¬ 
ches  high ;  one  of  the  stones  measured  fifteen  and  a 
half  feet  long  by  three  and  one  third  feet  thick.  In 
the  N.  W.  angle  is  a  well  or  cistern  arched  over,  hut 
not  deep.  There  are  no  stones  nor  ruins  of  any  kind 
lying  around,  to  mark  that  these  walls  were  ever  car¬ 
ried  higher.  It  is  difficult  to  say,  judging  merely  from 
the  remains  themselves,  what  could  have  been  the 
object  for  which  the  building  was  intended.  It  may 
have  been  a  church ;  though  it  does  not  lie,  like  most 
ancient  churches,  in  the  direction  from  West  to  East. 
Or  it  might  possibly  have  been  begun  as  a  fortress; 
though  there  would  seem  to  be  nothing  in  the  vicinity 
to  guard.  At  any  rate,  these  walls  cannot  have  been 
constructed  later  than  the  first  centuries  after  the 
Christian  era,  and  the  size  of  the  stones  points  rather 
to  an  earlier  age.  The  spot  is  called  by  the  Arabs 
Ramet  el-Khulil.  The  Jews  of  Hebron  call  it  the 
House  of  Abraham ;  and  regard  this  as  the  place  of 
Abraham’s  tent  and  terebinth  at  Mamre.  May  we  not 
perhaps  suppose,  that  these  massive  walls  are  indeed 
the  work  of  Jewish  hands,  erected  here  in  ancient 
days  around  the  spot  where  the  founder  of  their  race 
had  dwelt?  On  such  a  supposition,  the  structure 
would  have  corresponded  to  that  around  his  sepulchre 
in  Hebron.1 

1)  See  the  Haram  under  May  name  is  at  least  as  old  as  the  cru- 
24th. — This  Jewish  tradition  and  sades  ;  Benj.  de  Tud.  Voyages  par 


Apr.  14.] 


HALHUL. 


319 


The  country  was  still  rocky  and  uneven,  though 
somewhat  cultivated.  At  lOf  o’clock  a  ruined  mosk, 
called  Neby  Yunas  (Prophet  Jonah),  was  upon  a  long 
hill  parallel  to  our  road  on  the  right,  at  the  distance 
of  half  an  hour  or  more,  looking  much  like  the  church 
of  a  New  England  village.  Around  this  mosk,  as  we 
afterwards  learned,  are  the  remains  of  walls  and  foun¬ 
dations,  marking  an  ancient  site.  The  place  is  called 
by  the  Arabs  Hulhid ;  doubtless  the  ancient  Halhul, 
a  city  in  the  mountains  of  Judah,  which  Jerome  places 
near  to  Hebron.1  Another  road  from  Hebron  to  Jeru¬ 
salem,  which  .some  of  our  friends  took  a  few  weeks 
later,  leads  by  this  place.  We  saw  it  again  from  the 
East  on  a  subsequent  excursion  from  Jerusalem  ;  but 
did  not  visit  it.2  Along  the  eastern  side  of  the  same 
hill,  runs  the  great  valley,  which  passing  down  S.  W. 
to  Wady  es-Seba’,  drains  the  whole  region  around 
Hebron  and  Dhoheriyeh. 

A  large  village  was  now  visible  in  the  N.  N.  E.  at 
the  distance  of  an  hour  or  more,  called  Beit  Uininar ; 
but  we  did  not  observe  it  afterwards.  At  llh  l(f  there 
was  on  our  left  a  ruined  tower,  perhaps  of  the  time  of 


Barat.  p.  101.  If  the  supposition 
in  the  text  be  not  admissible,  these 
remains  may  perhaps  be  regarded 
as  belonging  to  the  church  erected 
by  order  of  Constantine,  near  the 
supposed  place  of  Abraham’s  tere¬ 
binth  ;  see  Euseb.  Vit.  Const.  III. 
51 — 53,  and  Valesius’  Notes  on  c. 
53.  Hieron.  Onomast.  art.  Ar-boch 
and  Drys.  The  Itin.  Hieros.  in 
A.  D.  333,  speaks  of  this  church  as 
two  Roman  miles  from  Hebron 
towards  Jerusalem.  According  to 
Sozomen  it  was  15  stadia  in  the 
same  direction ;  Hist.  Ecc.  II.  4. 
Adamnanus  mentions  here  these 
walls  as  of  a  church;  lib.  II.  11. 
See  generally  Reland  Palaest.  p. 
711,  seq.  Josephus  on  the  other 
hand  places  the  terebinth  of Mamre 
at  only  six  stadia  from  Hebron ; 


B.  J.  IV.  9.  7. — The  English  ver¬ 
sion  has  less  correctly  plain  of 
Mamre ;  Gen.  xiii.  18,  etc. 

1)  Josh.  xv.  58.  Hieron.  Ono¬ 
mast.  art.  Elul. 

2)  It  is  also  mentioned  by  Ibn 
Batuta  in  the  fourteenth  century 
as  the  tomb  of  Jonah;  see  his 
Travels  translated  by  Prof.  Lee, 
Lond.  1829.  p.  20.  Niebuhr  seems 
first  to  have  heard  the  name  Hul- 
hul,  as  a  village  where  the  Jews 
venerate  the  tomb  of  the  prophet 
Nathan ;  Reisebeschr.  III.  p.  69. 
Schubert  visited  the  place  in  1837, 
and  makes  a  similar  report  of  the 
tomb  of  Nathan  and  of  ancient 
walls ;  but  seems  not  to  have 
heard  the  name  Hulhtil.  Reise 
11.  p.  487. 


320 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


the  crusades  ;  and  in  five  minutes  more  we  came  to  a 
fountain  on  the  right  with  a  stone  trough,  and  with 
ruins  around  as  of  a  former  fortress.  The  stones  are 
very  large,  and  the  adjacent  rocks  hewn  away  to  a 
perpendicular  face.  The  place  is  called  ed-Dirweh.1 
The  country  now  became  more  open.  The  vallies 
were  wider  and  apparently  fertile ;  and  the  hills  were 
covered  with  bushes,  arbutus,  and  dwarf  oaks,  exhibit¬ 
ing  also  in  their  terraced  sides  the  traces  of  ancient 
cultivation.  This  tract  seemed  to  be  full  of  part¬ 
ridges  ;  whose  calling  and  clucking  we  heard  on  every 
side.  Crossing  a  valley  obliquely,  we  came  at  a  quarter 
past  noon  to  the  ruins  of  another  village  called  Abu 
Fid,  with,  olive-trees  and  tillage  around,  and  a  reser¬ 
voir  of  rain-water.  Here  we  could  see  the  road  at 
some  distance  before  us,  ascending  the  side  of  a  long 
ridge.  Half  an  hour  further  on,  there  was  another 
ruined  tower  upon  our  left.  The  road  up  the  ascent 
just  mentioned,  is  artificial ;  half  way  up  is  a  cistern 
of  rain-water,  and  an  open  place  of  prayer  for  the 
Muhammedan  traveller.  From  the  top,  the  path 
descends  into  a  long  straight  valley,  which  it  follows 
for  an  hour,  called  Wady  et-Tuheishimeh.  At  2\ 
o’clock  the  hills  became  higher  and  more  rocky ;  the 
valley  narrower  and  winding ;  while  the  road  ascends 
obliquely  on  the  left,  and  bends  around  the  eastern 
point  of  a  high  hill,  leaving  the  valley  very  deep  below 


1)  In  afterwards  searching  for 
the  site  of  the  ancient  Bet.h-zur, 
this  place  recurred  to  our  minds. 
That  city  was  probably  not  far 
from  Halhul  (Josh.  xv.  58),  on  the 
way  from  Jerusalem  to  Hebron, 
near  a  fountain  ;  Euseb.  et  Hieron. 
Onomast.  art.  Bethsur.  But  Euseb. 
and  Jerome  both  place  Bethzur  at 
20  miles  from  Jerusalem,  and  of 
course  only  two  miles  from  Heb¬ 
ron  ;  while  this  spot  is  two  hours 


with  camels,  or  some  five  Roman 
miles  from  the  latter  place.  The 
Itin.  Hieros.  makes  it  eleven  miles 
from  Hebron. — This  certainly  can¬ 
not  have  been  the  water  at  which 
the  eunuch  was  baptized ;  for  he 
was  driving  in  his  chariot  towards 
Gaza,  and  never  could  have  passed 
on  this  route.  Acts  viii.  26,  seq. 
Comp.  Schubert’s  Reise,  II.  p. 
488.  See  more  under  June  7th. 


Apr.  14.] 


SOLOMON’S  POOLS. 


321 


. 

on  the  right.  In  this  part  of  it  are  the  ruins  of  a 
large  square  building,  perhaps  once  a  convent;  and 
here  too  was  the  scene  of  one  of  the  battles  between 
Ibrahim  Pasha  and  the  rebel  Fellahs  in  A.  D.  1834. 
The  valley  passes  on  towards  the  right,  and  further 
down  (as  I  suppose)  receives  that  which  descends  from 
Solomon’s  Pools,  and  so  runs  to  the  Dead  Sea. 

Our  road  now  crossed  the  ridge  obliquely  towards 
the  left ;  and  brought  us  at  half  past  two  to  a  narrow 
valley  descending  towards  the  East.  Along  the  side 
of  the  northern  hill  was  an  aqueduct,  which,  as  we 
afterwards  found,  passes  around  the  eastern  end  of  the 
same  hill  and  enters  the  lower  Pool.  Crossing  this 
ridge  we  came  upon  the  more  open  valley  in  which  are 
the  Pools.  This  also  descends  towards  the  East; 
receives  the  Wady  we  had  just  crossed ;  and  further  on 
unites  with  Wady  et-Tuheishimeh.  From  the  hill, 
we  could  see  before  us,  at  a  distance  across  the  valley, 
the  little  village  and  former  church  of  St.  George, 
called  by  the  Arabs  el-Khudr.1  Our  path  led  us  along 
the  upper  end  of  the  upper  Pool,  which  we  reached  at 
2f  o’clock.  There  are  three  of  these  immense  reser¬ 
voirs,  lying  one  above  another  in  the  sloping  valley, 
and  bearing  every  mark  of  high  antiquity.  A  small 
aqueduct  is  carried  from  them  along  the  sides  of  the 
hills  to  Bethlehem  and  Jerusalem.  Their  name  in 
Arabic  is  el-Burak.  Close  by  is  a  large  square  Sara¬ 
cenic  fortress,  called  Kul’at  el-Burak ;  which  seemed 
now  to  be  inhabited  only  by  the  keeper  of  the  Pools. 

We  stopped  for  half  an  hour,  and  took  a  hasty 
survey  of  the  reservoirs ;  but  as  we  afterwards  visited 
them  again  and  examined  them  more  at  leisure,  I  defer 
the  description  of  them  for  the  present.2  A  road  passes 
from  hence  to  Bethlehem  along  the  aqueduct ;  but  as 


1)  See  under  May  17th. 
VOL.  I.  . 


41 


2)  See  under  May  8th. 


322 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


we  wished  to  press  forward,  we  took  one  more  direct, 
which  leads  obliquely  up  the  gentle  ascent  N.  of  the 
Pools;  setting  off  at  a  quarter  past  three  o’clock.  The 
path  passes  afterwards  over  a  level,  hut  exceedingly 
rocky  tract,  and  was  difficult  for  the  camels.  Our 
road  lay  nearly  half  a  mile  to  the  left  of  Bethlehem, 
which  we  saw  from  a  distance ;  hut  it  was  afterwards 
hidden  from  us  by  the  intervening  hill.  The  Arab 
name  is  Beit  Lahm.  On  our  left  was  the  head  of  a 
valley,  running  at  first  parallel  to  our  course,  and  then 
bending  to  the  N.  W.  around  a  hill  on  the  left,  towards 
the  Mediterranean.  It  is  here  called  Wady  Ahmed. 
On  the  eastern  slope  of  this  hill,  overagainst  Bethle¬ 
hem,  lies  the  large  village  of  Beit  Jala,  inhabited  like 
Bethlehem  by  Christians,  and  surrounded  by  olive- 
groves  extending  into  the  valley.  At  4h  10'  we  were 
opposite  Bethlehem,  between  it  and  Beit  Jala.  The 
road  then  passes  along  a  low  swell  or  ridge  between 
Wady  Ahmed  on  the  left,  and  the  head  of  a  Wady  on  the 
right,  which  flows  off  N.  of  Bethlehem  to  the  Dead  Sea. 

Someways  up  the  gentle  acclivity,  which  here 
rises  towards  the  N.  E.  from  Wady  Ahmed,  stands 
the  Kubbet  Rahil,  or  Rachel’s  Tomb,  which  we  reach¬ 
ed  at  4h  25'.  This  is  merely  an  ordinary  Muslim  Wely, 
or  tomb  of  a  holy  person ;  a  small  square  building  of 
stone  with  a  dome,  and  within  it  a  tomb  in  the  ordi¬ 
nary  Muhammedan  form;  the  whole  plastered  over 
with  mortar.  Of  course  the  building  is  not  ancient ; 
in  the  seventh  century  there  was  here  only  a  pyramid 
of  stones.1  It  is  now  neglected,  and  falling  to  decay  ; 
though  pilgrimages  are  still  made  to  it  by  the  Jews. 
The  naked  walls  are  covered  with  names  in  several 


1)  Adamnanits  ex  Arculfo,  II. 
7. — The  present  building  had  for¬ 
merly  open  arches  on  the  four 
sides,  which  were  w'alled  up  about 


a  century  ago.  It  seems  to  have 
been  built  before  Edrisi’s  day  ;  see 
Edrisi,  p.  345.  ed.  Jaub.  Comp.  Co- 
tov.  ltin.  p.  245.  Pocoke  II.  p.  39. 


Apr.  14.] 


RACHEL’S  TOMB. 


323 


languages ;  many  of  them  in  Hebrew.  The  general 
correctness  of  the  tradition  which  has  fixed  upon  this 
spot  for  the  tomb  of  Rachel,  cannot  well  be  drawn  in 
question;  since  it  is  fully  supported  by  the  circum¬ 
stances  of  the  Scriptural  narrative.  It  is  also  men¬ 
tioned  by  the  I  tin.  Hieros.  A.  D.  333,  and  by  Jerome 
in  the  same  century.1 

Still  ascending  the  hill  towards  the  Greek  convent 
of  Mar-Elyas,  the  road  passes  to  the  left  around  the 
head  of  a  deep  valley  running  off  eastward  to  the  Dead 
Sea ;  and  affords  a  wide  view  out  over  the  mountainous 
regions  towards  and  beyond  that  sea,  [including  Beth¬ 
lehem  and  the  Frank  mountain.  The  deep  basin  of 
the  sea  could  also  be  in  part  made  out ;  but  its  waters 
were  not  visible.  Here  we  began  to  see  traces  of  the 
pilgrims  now  collected  in  Jerusalem  at  the  festival  of 
Easter.  A  large  number  of  their  horses  were  feeding 
on  this  spot,  guarded  at  the  moment  only  by  a  single 
man.  The  animals  were  sleek  and  in  good  case ;  and 
had  no  appearance  of  having  made  a  long  journey. 
The  same  night,  as  we  afterwards  learned,  the  keepers 
were  attacked  by  robbers ;  one  man  was  killed  ;  an¬ 
other  wounded ;  and  some  of  the  horses  driven  off. 

At  4h  55'  we  came  opposite  the  convent  of  Mar 
Elyas,  which  lies  on  the  brow  of  the  high  ridge,  over¬ 
looking  Bethlehem  and  the  deep  valley  around  which 
we  had  jbft  passed ;  while  towards  the  North  the 
descent  is*  small,  and  the  waters  run  again  towards 
the  Mediterranean.  Here  we  got  our  first  view  of  a 
portion  of  the  Holy  City, — the  mosk  and  other  high 
buildings  standing  on  Mount  Zion  without  the  walls. 
As  we  advanced  we  had  on  the  right  low  hills  ;  and 
on  the  left  the  cultivated  valley  or  plain  of  Rephaim 
or  the  Giants,  with  gentle  hills  beyond.  This  plain  is 

1)  Gen.  xxxv.  16—20.  Hieron.  taph.  Paul®,  Opp.  Tom.  IV.  ii.  p. 
Epist.  lxxxvi.  ad  Eustoch.  Epi-  674.  ed.  Mart. 


324 


FROM  ’AKABAH  TO  JERUSALEM. 


[Sec.  V. 


broad,  and  descends  gradually  towards  the  S.  W. 
until  it  contracts  in  that  direction  into  a  deeper  and 
narrower  valley,  called  Wady  el-Werd,  which  unites 
further  on  with  Wady  Ahmed,  and  finds  its  way  to 
the  Mediterranean.1  Along  this  plain  we  met  many 
people,  mostly  Christians,  men,  women  and  children, 
returning  from  Jerusalem.  It  was  now  the  eve  of 
Easter  Sunday ;  and  the  miracle  of  the  Greek  holy 
fire  had  just  been  performed.  They  were  dressed  in 
their  best  attire,  and  seemed  light-hearted  and  gay. 

The  plain  of  Rephaim  extends  nearly  to  the  city ; 
which,  as  seen  from  it,  appears  to  be  almost  on  the 
same  level.  As  we  advanced,  the  plain  was  termi¬ 
nated  by  a  slight  rocky  ridge,  forming  the  brow  of  the 
valley  of  Hinnom.  This  deep  and  narrow  dell,  with 
steep  rocky  sides,  often  precipitous,  here  comes  down 
from  the  North  from  as  far  as  the  Yafa  Gate;  and 
sweeping  around  Mount  Zion  at  almost  a  right  angle, 
descends  with  great  rapidity  into  the  very  deep  valley 
of  Jehoshaphat.  The  southern  side  of  Zion  is  very 
steep,  though  not  precipitous ;  while  the  great  depth 
of  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat  struck  me  with  surprise. 
We  crossed  the  valley  of  Hinnom  opposite  the  S.  W. 
corner  of  Zion ;  and  passed  up  along  the  eastern  side 
of  the  valley  to  the  Hebron  or  Yafa  Gate.  On  our 
left  was  the  Lower  Pool,  an  immense  reservoir  now 
broken  down  and  dry.  Above  this  the  aqmeduct  from 
Solomon’s  Pools  curves  across  the  valley  o^very  low 
arches.  At  length,  at  6  o’clock,  we  entered  the  Holy 
City,  el-Kuds ,  just  at  the  closing  of  the  gates  on 
the  evening  before  Easter  Sunday ;  and  found  a  wel¬ 
come  home  in  the  houses  of  our  missionary  friends 
and  countrvmen. 

•j 

1)  Josephus  says  expressly,  that  Antiq.  VII.  4.  1.  VII.  12.  4.  See 
the  valley  of  the  Giants  (Re-  also  Josh.  xv.  8.  xviii.  1G.  2  Sam. 
phaim)  was  near  Jerusalem,  and  v.  18,  22.  xxiii.  13,  14. 
extended  towards  Bethlehem ; 


Apr.  14.] 


PLAIN  REPHAIM.  EL-KUDS. 


325 


This  was  the  most  fatiguing  day  of  our  whole 
journey.  We  had  been  for  sixteen  hours  almost  con¬ 
stantly  upon  our  camels ;  yet  the  exhaustion  arose 
more  from  want  of  rest  and  sleep,  than  from  any  great 
exertion. — The  distance  between  Hebron  and  Jeru¬ 
salem  is  definitely  given  by  Eusebius  and  Jerome  at 
twenty-two  Roman  miles ;  equivalent  to  about  seven¬ 
teen  and  a  half  geographical  miles.  Our  time  between 
the  two  cities  was  eight  and  a  quarter  hours  with 
camels ;  affording  a  coincidence  sufficiently  exact. 


SECTION  VI. 


JERUSALEM. 

INCIDENTS  AND  FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 

The  feelings  of  a  Christian  traveller  on  approach¬ 
ing  Jerusalem,  can  be  better  conceived  than  described. 
Mine  were  strongly  excited.  Before  us,  as  we  drew 
near,  lay  Zion,  the  Mount  of  Olives,  the  Vales  of  Hin- 
nom  and  Jehoshaphat,  and  other  objects  of  the  deepest 
interest;  while,  crowning  the  summits  of  the  same 
ancient  hills,  was  spread  out  the  city  where  God  of 
old  had  dwelt,  and  where  the  Saviour  of  the  world 
had  lived  and  taught  and  died.  From  the  earliest 
childhood  I  had  read  of  and  studied  the  localities  of 
this  sacred  spot;  now  I  beheld  them  with  my  own 
eyes ;  and  they  all  seemed  familiar  to  me,  as  if  the 
realization  of  a  former  dream.  I  seemed  to  be  again 
among  cherished  scenes  of  childhood,  long  unvisited, 
indeed,  but  distinctly  recollected ;  and  it  was  almost 
a  painful  interruption,  when  my  companion  (who  had 
been  here  before)  began  to  point  out  and  name  the 
various  objects  in  view. 

At  length  “  our  feet  stand  within  thy  gates,  O 
J erusalem  ! — Peace  be  within  thy  walls  and  prosperity 
within  thy  palaces  !”  We  entered  the  Yafa  Gate, 
passed  the  small  open  place  within,  and  descended 
the  steep  and  narrow  way  along  the  head  of  the  an¬ 
cient  Tyropoeon,  or  Valley  of  the  Cheesemakers, 


Sec.  VI.] 


LODGINGS. 


327 


until  we  came  to  the  first  street  leading  North  below 
the  Pool  of  Hezekiah.  In  this  street  nearly  against 
the  middle  of  the  Pool,  was  the  residence  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Whiting,  where  we  stopped  for  a  few  moments, 
while  our  camels  were  unloaded  and  dismissed.  Thence 
proceeding  a  little  further  North,  we  crossed  down 
through  the  court  of  the  church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
to  the  next  parallel  street ;  and  turning  to  the  left  a 
few  steps  we  entered  the  first  right-hand  lane,  and 
found  ourselves  after  two  or  three  doors  at  the  dwell¬ 
ing  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lanneau.  Here  a  home  was 
already  prepared  for  us  ;  where  we  remained  during 
our  sojourn  in  the  city.  Both  these  gentlemen  are 
our  countrymen  ;  and  had  already  been  established 
in  the  Holy  City  as  Missionaries  for  several  years. 
The  house  of  the  latter  was  one  of  the  better  class  ; 
it  was  large,  with  marble  floors ;  and  had  on  one  side  an 
extensive  and  pleasant  garden,  with  orange  and  other 
fruit-trees  and  many  flowers.  It  furnished  indeed  one 
of  the  most  desirable  and  healthful  residences  in  the 
city.  Yet  the  rent  was  less  than  fifty  Spanish  dollars 
per  annum. 

In  the  houses  of  our  friends,  we  found  collected  all 
the  members  of  the  Syrian  Mission,  with  a  single 
exception,  from  the  stations  at  Beirut  and  in  Cyprus ; 
and  one  also  from  the  Mission  at  Constantinople.1 
They  had  come  up  with  their  families,  like  the  He¬ 
brews  of  old,  at  the  time  of  the  Passover,  to  worship 
in  this  place,  and  to  consult  together  on  the  best 
measures  for  promoting  the  great  work  in  which  they 
were  engaged.  Among  the  eight  missionaries  thus 
assembled,  it  was  with  feelings  of  no  ordinary  gratifi¬ 
cation,  that  I  could  welcome  five  as  former  friends  and 

1)1  speak  here  of  course  only  for  Foreign  Missions,  which  has 
of  Missionaries  sent  out  by  the  its  central  offices  in  Bostqp. 
American  Board  of  Commissioners 


328 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 


[Sec.  VL 


pupils.  In  those  days  of  former  intercourse,  we  had 
never  thought  thus  to  see  each  other  on  earth  upon 
Mount  Zion ;  and  so  much  the  more  deeply  did  we 
all  now  feel  and  prize  the  high  privilege  of  meeting 
on  this  sacred  spot,  where  we  might  again  “  take 
sweet  counsel  together,  and  walk  unto  the  house  of 
God  in  company.57 

I  have  already  remarked,  that  as  we  crossed  the 
valley  of  Hinnom,  I  was  particularly  struck  with  its 
rapid  descent,  and  the  great  depth  of  the  vale  of  Je- 
lioshaphat  or  the  Kidron,  into  which  it  opens.  In  the 
city  itself,  the  steepness  of  the  streets  which  descend 
towards  the  East  was  greater  than  I  had  anticipated. 
But  on  entering  the  gates  of  Jerusalem,  apart  from  the 
overpowering  recollections  which  naturally  rush  upon 
the  mind,  I  was  in  many  respects  agreeably  disap¬ 
pointed.  From  the  descriptions  of  Chateaubriand  and 
other  travellers,  I  had  expected  to  find  the  houses  of 
the  city  miserable,  the  streets  filthy,  and  the  popula¬ 
tion  squalid.  Yet  the  first  impression  made  upon  my 
mind  was  of  a  different  character;  nor  did  I  after¬ 
wards  see  any  reason  to  doubt  the  correctness  of  this 
first  impression.  The  houses  are  in  general  better 
built,  and  the  streets  cleaner,  than  those  of  Alexandria, 
Smyrna,  or  even  Constantinople.  Indeed,  of  all  the 
oriental  cities  which  it  was  my  lot  to  visit,  Jerusalem, 
after  Cairo,  is  the  cleanest  and  most  solidly  built. 
The  streets  indeed  are  narrow,  and  very  rudely  paved ; 
like  those  of  all  cities  in  the  East.  The  houses  are  of 
hewn  stone,  often  large,  and  furnished  with  the  small 
domes  upon  the  roofs,  which  have  been  already  men¬ 
tioned  at  Hebron,  as  perhaps  peculiar  to  the  district  of 
Judea.  These  domes  seem  to  be  not  merely  for  orna¬ 
ment  ;  but  are  intended,  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of 
timber,  to  aid  in  supporting  and  strengthening  the 
otherwise  flat  roofs.  There  is  usually  one  or  more 


Apr.  15.]  EASTER  SUNDAY.  329 

over  each  room  in  a  house ;  and  they  serve  also  to  give 
a  greater  elevation  and  an  architectural  effect  to  the 
ceiling  of  the  room,  which  rises  within  them.  The 
streets  and  the  population  that  throngs  them,  may  also 
well  bear  comparison  with  those  of  any  other  oriental 
city ;  although  if  one  seeks  here,  or  elsewhere  in  the 
East,  for  the  general  cleanliness  and  thrift  which  char¬ 
acterize  many  cities  of  Europe  and  America,  he  will 
of  course  seek  in  vain. 

Sunday ,  April  15th.  This  was  the  Christian  Sab¬ 
bath,  and  it  was  also  Easter  Sunday.  It  was  in  a 
special  manner  a  “great  day”  in  Jerusalem,  inasmuch 
as  the  Easter  of  the  Romish  and  that  of  the  Oriental 
churches,  which  usually  occur  on  different  days,  fell 
together  for  the  present  year.  During  Easter-week, 
the  city  had  been  thronged,  though  not  very  fully,  with 
pilgrims.  These  were  mostly  Greeks  and  Armenians ; 
very  few  Latins  were  seen;  and  only  now  and  then 
a  straggling  Copt.  The  whole  number  had  been  less 
than  usual.  The  annual  excursion  to  the  Jordan  had 
been  made,  in  which  some  of  our  friends  had  joined  ; 
and  the  annual  mockery  of  the  Greek  holy  fire  had 
taken  place  just  before  we  entered  the  city.  The 
Latins  too  had  enacted  their  mummery,  representing 
the  scenes  of  the  crucifixion.  In  consequence  of  our 
late  arrival,  we  thus  missed  all  the  incidents  of  the 
Holy  week.  This  however  we  counted  as  no  loss,  but 
rather  a  gain ;  for  the  object  of  our  visit  was  the  city 
itself,  in  relation  to  its  ancient  renown  and  religious 
associations ;  not  as  seen  in  its  present  state  of  decay 
and  supersitious  or  fraudful  degradation.  The  Jews 
also  were  celebrating  their  Passover ;  and  our  friends 
had  received  a  present  of  some  of  their  unleavened 
bread.  It  was  spread  out  into  very  thin  sheets,  almost 
like  paper,  very  white,  and  also  very  delicate  and 
palatable.  Thus  to  all  the  inhabitants,  except  to  the 
Vol.  I.  42 


330 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


Muhammedans ;  and  to  all  the  strangers  who  were 
present,  save  the  few  Protestants ;  this  was  the  greatest 
festival  of  the  year. 

The  different  sects  of  Christians  who  have  posses¬ 
sion  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  had  of  course 
been  compelled  to  alternate  in  their  occupancy  of  it, 
and  in  the  performance  of  their  religious  ceremonies. 
On  this  last  u  high  day”  of  the  festival,  the  Greeks 
held  their  grand  Mass  at  the  Sepulchre  before  break 
of  day ;  and  the  Latins  followed  at  9  o’clock.  I  looked 
in  for  a  few  moments,  with  my  friend  Mr.  Homes,  upon 
this  latter  ceremonial.  Few  persons  were  present, 
except  those  engaged  in  the  service.  These  few  were 
all  below  in  the  body  of  the  church ;  in  the  galleries 
there  were  no  spectators.  The  reputed  sepulchre,  as 
is  well  known,  stands  in  the  middle  of  the  spacious 
rotunda,  directly  beneath  the  centre  of  the  great  dome, 
which  is  open  to  the  sky.  The  high  altar  was  placed 
directly  before  the  door  of  the  sepulchre ;  so  that  we 
could  not  enter  the  latter.  The  ceremonies  we  saw 
consisted  only  in  a  procession  of  the  monks  and  others 
marching  around  the  sepulchre ;  stopping  occasionally 
to  read  a  portion  of  the  Gospel ;  and  then  again  advanc¬ 
ing  with  chanting  and  singing.  I  was  struck  with  the 
splendour  of  their  robes,  stiff  with  embroidery  of  silver 
and  gold,  the  well-meant  offerings  probably  of  Catholics 
out  of  every  country  of  Europe ;  but  I  was  not  less 
struck  with  the  vulgar  and  unmeaning  visages  that 
peered  out  from  these  costly  vestments.  The  wearers 
looked  more  like  ordinary  ruffians,  than  like  ministers 
of  the  cross  of  Christ.  Indeed  there  is  reason  to  believe, 
that  the  Latin  monks  in  Palestine  are  actually  for  the 
most  part  ignorant  and  often  illiterate  men,  chiefly 
from  Spain,  the  refuse  of  her  monks  and  clergy,  who 
come  or  are  sent  hither  as  into  a  sort  of  exile,  where 
they  serve  to  excite  the  sympathies  and  the  misplaced 


Apr.  15.]  CATHOLIC  AND  PROTESTANT  WORSHIP.  331 

charities  of  the  Catholics  of  Europe.  There  was 
hardly  a  face  among  all  those  before  us,  that  could  he 
called  intelligent.  A  few  fine-looking  French  naval 
officers,  and  one  or  two  Irish  Catholics,  had  joined  the 
procession ;  but  seemed  quite  out  of  place,  and  as  if 
ashamed  of  their  companions. 

I  make  these  remarks  merely  as  relating  a  matter 
of  fact;  and  not,  I  trust,  out  of  any  spirit  of  prejudice 
against  the  Romish  church  or  her  clergy.  I  had  once 
spent  the  Holy  week  in  Rome  itself ;  and  there  admired 
the  intelligent  and  noble  countenances  of  many  of  the 
clergy  and  monks  congregated  in  that  city.  For  this 
very  reason  the  present  contrast  struck  me  the  more 
forcibly  and  disagreeably.  The  whole  scene  indeed 
was  to  a  Protestant  painful  and  revolting.  It  might 
perhaps  have  been  less  so,  had  there  been  manifested 
the  slightest  degree  of  faith  in  the  genuineness  of  the 
surrounding  objects;  hut  even  the  monks  themselves 
do  not  pretend,  that  the  present  sepulchre  is  anything 
more  than  an  imitation  of  the  original.  But  to  be  in 
the  ancient  city  of  the  Most  High,  and  to  see  these 
venerated  places  and  the  very  name  of  our  holy  reli¬ 
gion  profaned  by  idle  and  lying  mummeries  ;  while 
the  proud  Mussulman  looks  on  with  haughty  scorn  ; 
all  this  excited  in  my  mind  a  feeling  too  painful  to  he 
borne ;  and  I  never  visited  the  place  again. 

We  now  repaired  to  the  house  of  Mr  Whiting; 
where  in  a  large  upper-room  our  friends  had  long  es¬ 
tablished  regular  divine  service  in  English  every 
Sunday ;  in  which  they  were  assisted  by  Mr.  Nicolay- 
son,  the  able  Missionary  of  the  English  Church,  sent 
out  hither  by  the  London  Missionary  Society  for  the 
Jews.  We  found  a  very  respectable  congregation, 
composed  of  all  the  missionary  families,  besides  several 
European  travellers  of  rank  and  name.  It  was,  I  pre¬ 
sume,  the  largest  Protestant  congregation  ever  col- 


332  JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS.  [Sec.  VI. 

lected  within  the  walls  of  the  Holy  City ;  and  it  was 
gratifying  to  see  Protestants  of  various  names  here 
laying  aside  all  distinctions,  and  uniting  with  one 
heart  to  declare  by  their  example  in  Jerusalem  itself, 
that  “God  is  a  Spirit;  and  they  that  worship  him, 
must  worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth.”1 2  The  sim¬ 
plicity  and  spirituality  of  the  Protestant  worship  was 
to  me  affecting  and  doubly  pleasing,  in  contrast  with 
the  pageant  of  which  we  had  just  been  spectators. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  we  were  also  present  at  the 
service  in  Arabic,  which  the  same  Missionaries  had 
established  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Lanneau,  and  which 
was  then  regularly  attended  by  some  twenty  or  thirty 
Arab  Christians  of  the  Greek  rite.^  These  were  men 
of  respectable  appearance,  merchants  and  others ;  and 
seemed  to  yield  attention  to  the  things  which  they 
heard. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  remark,  that 
the  object  of  the  American  Missions  to  Syria  and 
other  parts  of  the  Levant,  is  not  to  draw  off  members 
of  the  Oriental  churches  to  Protestantism;  but  to 
awaken  them  to  a  knowledge  and  belief  of  the  Gospel- 
truth,  in  the  purity  and  simplicity  of  its  original  scriptu¬ 
ral  form.  To  this  end  all  the  efforts  of  the  Missionaries 
are  directed ;  in  the  hope,  that  individuals  thus  en¬ 
lightened,  and  remaining,  if  they  choose,  within  the 
pale  of  their  own  churches,  may  by  degrees  become 
instrumental  in  infusing  into  the  latter  life  and  vigour 
and  a  love  of  the  truth,  before  which  the  various  forms 
of  error  and  superstition  will  of  themselves  vanish 
away.  The  Missionaries  would  seem  thus  to  have 
taken  the  proper  course,  in  going  forward  simply  as 
preachers  of  the  Gospel,  and  not  as  the  direct  assailants 

1) Johniv.  24.  Greek  church;  but  they  are  all 

2)  The  great  body  of  the  native  Arabs,  and  employ  only  the 
Christians  in  Palestine  are  of  the  Arabic  language  in  their  worship. 


Apr.  16.] 


AMERICAN  MISSIONARIES. 


333 


of  specific  errors;  striving  to  overcome  darkness 
by  diffusing  light,  and  not  by  denouncing  it  as  gross 
darkness.  True,  in  this  way  they  make  less  noise ; 
for  the  mere  presentation  of  truth  excites  less  opposi¬ 
tion  than  the  calling  in  question  of  long  cherished 
error ;  hut,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  they  are  likely 
to  reap  a  more  abundant  harvest,  and  exert  a  larger 
and  more  lasting  influence  in  the  moral  regeneration 
of  the  East. 

Towards  evening,  the  families  again  came  together 
in  a  less  formal  manner  for  an  hour  of  prayer  and 
religious  exhortation.  These  various  exercises,  with 
others  occasionally  upon  other  days,  were  regularly 
kept  up  by  the  Missionaries  whenever  circumstances 
permitted.  So  long  as  we  remained  in  the  city,  they 
were  continued  without  interruption ;  but  subsequently, 
the  occurrence  of  the  plague  broke  up  all  regularity ; 
and  other  circumstances  conspired  to  suspend  wholly, 
for  a  time,  the  labours  of  the  American  Mission  in 
Jerusalem.1 

Monday ,  April  1 6th.  After  our  long  banishment 
in  the  desert,  I  had  now  of  course  many  letters  to 
write,  in  order  to  inform  my  family  and  distant  friends 
of  our  general  welfare  and  safe  arrival  in  the  Holy 
City.  Up  to  the  time  of  our  leaving  Cairo,  there  had 
been  no  difficulty  in  despatching  letters  when  we 
pleased;  as  the  various  lines  of  French  and  Austrian 
steamers  had  already  rendered  intercourse  with  the 
West  as  direct  and  frequent,  as  between  different  parts 
of  Europe  itself.  But  these  facilities  had  not  yet 
been  extended  to  Syria.  The  English  steamer  from 

1)  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Whiting  were  eyes  to  Beirut  for  medical  advice, 
compelled  a  few  months  later  to  where  he  remained  during  the 
return  for  a  time  to  the  United  subsequent  winter.  The  mission 
States,  in  consequence  of  her  de-  has  been  since  re-established  on  a 
dining  health.  Mr.  Lanneau  was  more  permanent  footing, 
driven  by  a  severe  affection  of  the 


334 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


Malta  to  Alexandria  came  indeed  once  a  month  from 
the  latter  place  to  Beirut  for  a  few  hours ;  and  this 
was  the  only  regular  mode  of  sending  off  letters  from 
Jerusalem  to  Europe,  in  connection  with  a  weekly 
private  post,  which  had  just  been  established  to  Bei¬ 
rut.  The  Pasha’s  line  of  posts  from  Cairo  to  Damas¬ 
cus  and  Aleppo  passed  through  Gaza  and  Yafa,  with¬ 
out  communicating  with  Jerusalem.  Of  this  we  were 
able  to  avail  ourselves  by  transmitting  letters  to  our 
consular  agent  at  Yafa,  who  could  thence  forward  them 
under  cover  to  the  Consuls  in  Cairo  and  Alexandria. 
I  did  this  also  once  in  Gaza ;  and  once  an  opportunity 
occurred,  of  sending  by  a  government  express  direct 
from  Jerusalem  to  Alexandria. 

The  general  meeting  of  the  Missionaries  was  to  be 
one  of  business,  in  which  several  important  questions 
were  to  be  considered  and  decided.  They  met  this 
day  for  the  first  time ;  and  continued  their  sessions, 
morning  and  afternoon,  for  about  ten  days.  The  time 
of  my  companion  was  necessarily  chiefly  occupied  in 
these  meetings.  For  myself,  I  had  enough  to  do  at 
first  in  the  writing  of  letters  and  the  arrangement  of 
my  journals ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  reading  necessary  to 
prepare  upon  the  spot  for  a  close  examination  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  itself,  and  for  our  future  excursions  into  the 
country  round  about.  I  took  great  pleasure  also  in 
attending  the  meetings  of  the  Missionaries,  so  far  as 
time  and  circumstances  permitted.  It  was  truly  gra¬ 
tifying  to  observe  the  spirit  of  love  and  harmony  by 
which  they  were  all  actuated.  On  many  points,  it 
was  hardly  to  be  expected  that  there  should  not  at 
first  he  diversity  of  opinion ;  but  there  was  manifestly 
a  strong  desire  and  endeavour,  by  ripe  deliberation 
and  mutual  concession,  to  arrive  in  every  case  at  some 
conclusion  in  which  all  might  cordially  unite.  The 
results  to  which  they  came,  were  I  believe  in  every 


Sec.  VI.] 


THE  LORD’S  SUPPER. 


335 


instance  unanimous ;  and  the  influence  of  this  meeting 
and  of  these  deliberations,  in  strengthening  amongthem 
the  bonds  of  mutual  affection  and  respect,  (if  I  may 
judge  from  my  own  feelings,)  will  not  soon  pass  away. 

Under  the  influence  of  such  feelings  and  impres¬ 
sions,  the  evening  of  the  following  Christian  Sabbath 
was  devoted  to  the  celebration  of  the  Holy  Sacrament 
of  the  Lord’s  Supper.  In  the  “  large  upper  room”  of 
Mr.  Whiting’s  house,  where  “  prayer  was  wont  to  he 
made,”  eleven  sojourners  in  the  Holy  City,  all  Protest¬ 
ant  Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and  ten  of  them  from  the 
new  world,  sat  down  in  company  with  several  female 
friends  and  others,  to  celebrate  the  dying  love  of  the 
Redeemer,  near  the  spot  where  the  ordinance  was  first 
instituted.  The  occasion,  the  thrilling  recollections 
which  it  called  up  in  connection  with  the  city  and  the 
Mount  of  Olives  which  lay  before  us ;  the  unexpected 
coincidences  of  time,  place,  and  number ;  all  these 
were  deeply  impressive,  and  stamped  upon  this  hour 
a  character  of  sacredness  and  profound  emotion,  that 
can  never  be  forgotten.  In  my  own  case,  the  thought 
that  this  was  the  one  only  time  of  my  life,  that  I  could 
hope  to  enjoy  this  high  privilege,  was  inexpressibly 
solemn. 


In  occupations  and  enjoyments  like  these,  there 
was  enough  to  fill  up  usefully  and  agreeably  all  my 
time,  had  I  been  so  disposed.  But  I  had  other  duties. 
The  object  of  my  journey  to  Jerusalem  was  not  to 
visit  friends,  nor  to  inquire  into  the  character  of  the 
present  population,  nor  to  investigate  their  political 
or  moral  state,  except  as  incidental  points.  My  one 
great  object  was  the  city  itself,  in  its  topographical 
and  historical  relations,  its  site,  its  hills,  its  dales,  its 
remains  of  antiquity,  the  traces  of  its  ancient  popula- 


336 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


tion;  in  short,  every  thing  connected  with  it  that 
could  have  a  hearing  upon  the  illustration  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures.  In  all  these  respects,  our  friends,  who  had  been 
long  upon  the  ground,  were  ready  and  desirous  to  lend 
a  helping  hand ;  and  although  they  were  much  occu¬ 
pied  with  the  business  before  them,  yet  we  often  found 
time  at  morning  or  evening,  and  occasionally  during 
the  day,  to  take  frequent  and  sometimes  long  walks 
through  the  more  interesting  portions  of  the  city  and 
its  environs.  Time  and  again  we  visited  the  more  im¬ 
portant  spots,  and  repeated  our  observations ;  com¬ 
paring  meanwhile  what  we  had  seen  ourselves  with 
the  accounts  of  ancient  writers  and  former  travellers, 
until  at  length  conjectures  or  opinions  were  ripened 
into  conviction  or  gradually  abandoned.  Our  motto 
was  in  the  words,  though  not  exactly  in  the  sense  of 
the  Apostle :  “  Prove  all  things ;  hold  fast  that  which 
is  good.”  During  the  same  interval,  I  also  took  many 
measurements  both  within  and  around  the  city. 

These  repeated  examinations  of  the  same  objects 
gave  henceforth  to  our  researches  in  Jerusalem  a  more 
desultory  character;  which  renders  it  difficult,  or  at 
least  not  advisable,  to  record  them  any  further  in  the 
form  of  a  Journal.  It  will  therefore  be  my  endeavour, 
after  describing  a  few  of  our  most  interesting  walks 
in  and  around  Jerusalem,  and  some  of  the  incidents  of 
our  residence  there,  to  bring  together  in  another  Sec¬ 
tion  the  results  of  our  researches  relative  to  the  topo¬ 
graphy  and  antiquities  of  the  city,  interweaving  so  far 
as  may  be  necessary  the  slighter  incidents  personal 
to  ourselves ;  thus  presenting  a  general  description  of 
the  place  and  its  environs.  In  this  way,  and  with  the 
aid  of  the  accompanying  Plan,  the  reader  will  be  best 
able  to  follow  out  our  researches ;  and  judge  for  him¬ 
self  of  the  grounds  on  which  our  conclusions  rest. 

In  these  walks,  our  main  object  was,  not  so  much 


Sec.  VI.] 


MOUNT  ZION. 


337 


to  investigate,  as  to  obtain  a  general  impression  of  the 
city  and  its  environs,  in  order  to  prepare  the  way  for 
more  particular  examination  at  another  time.  I  de¬ 
scribe  them  here  with  the  same  intent,  and  in  order  to 
impart  the  same  general  impression  to  the  reader; 
reserving  a  more  detailed  account  of  the  various  ob¬ 
jects,  and  the  questions  as  to  their  identity,  to  the 
subsequent  pages. 

ZION,  SILOAM,  ETC. 

\  1  J 

Our  first  walk  was  on  Tuesday,  April  17th,  after 
having  dined  with  our  friend  Mr.  Nicolayson,  at  his 
house  near  the  Jews’  quarter  on  the  northern  part  of 
Zion.  Towards  evening,  our  host,  Mr.  Smith,  and 
myself,  went  out  of  the  city  by  the  Yafa  gate,  and 
turning  to  the  left  descended  the  slope  along  the  side 
of  the  deep  trench  which  here  skirts  the  castle.  This 
brought  us  to  the  bottom  of  the  valley  of  Hinnom, 
along  which  leads  for  a  time  the  road  to  Bethlehem 
by  which  we  had  approached  on  Saturday.  Another 
path  quits  this  almost  immediately  towards  the  left, 
and  begins  to  ascend  obliquely  the  slope  of  Zion  to¬ 
wards  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the  city  wall,  which  lies 
high  above  the  valley.  Reaching  this  latter  point,  we 
came  out  upon  the  high  level  part  of  Zion,  not  included 
in  the  modern  city.  It  is  mostly  an  open  tract,  in  some 
parts  tilled,  with  a  few  scattered  buildings.  The  chief 
of  these  are  the  House  of  Caiphas,  so  called,  now  an 
Armenian  convent ;  and  the  Muslim  Tomb  of  David 
with  a  mosk.  A  few  enclosures  of  stone-walls  are 
seen  round  about  these  buildings  and  in  other  parts. 
But  what  chiefly  attracted  our  attention  now,  was  the 
Christian  cemeteries,  all  of  which  lie  upon  this  open 
place ;  first  that  of  the  Armenians,  nearest  to  their 
great  convent  in  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the  city;  south 
Vol.  I.  43 


338 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


of  this,  that  of  the  Greeks;  and  more  to  the  eastward 
that  of  the  Latins.  The  graves  in  these  cemeteries 
are  simply  marked  (if  marked  at  all)  by  a  flat  stone 
laid  upon  them  with  an  inscription. 

In  the  Latin  quarter  one  inscription  struck  my  eye 
particularly ;  it  contained  the  name  of  my  own  country, 
and  marked  the  grave  of  a  young  American.  Ten 
years  ago  I  had  known  him  in  Paris  in  the  flower  of 
his  youth,  a  favourite  in  the  family  of  La  Fayette,  and 
moving  in  the  gay  circles  of  that  gay  metropolis.  He 
had  soon  after  wandered  off  to  Egypt  and  the  East ; 
and  in  1830  died  here  alone  and  friendless  in  the  Latin 
convent.  The  epitaph  with  which  the  monks  have 
honoured  him,  declares,  that  “  of  his  own  accord  he 
abjured  the  errors  of  Luther  and  Calvin,  and  professed 
the  Catholic  religion.”  Poor  youth  !  he  knew  too  little 
of  the  doctrines  of  the  Reformers,  and  still  less  of  those 
of  the  Romish  church.  No  friend  was  near  to  watch 
over  his  last  moments;  and  the  strongest  inference 
that  can  be  drawn  from  the  above  language  is,  that  in 
order  to  be  left  in  quiet  he  gave  assent  to  all  their 
questions.  Or,  not  improbably  the  assertion  may  rest 
merely  on  the  fact,  that  in  his  dying  hour,  when  con¬ 
sciousness  perhaps  was  gone,  they  administered  to  him 
extreme  unction.  The  stone  purports  to  have  been 
placed  by  “weeping  friends,” — rejoicing  Catholics  of 
course ;  for  no  others  could  have  put  an  inscription 
like  the  following  over  his  grave: 

D.  o.  M. 

H  I  C  J  A  C  E  T 
C.  B.  ex  Americae  Regionibus, 

Lugduni  Galliae  Consul,  Hierosolymis  tactus  intrinsecus  sponte 
Erroribus  Lutheri  et  Calvini  abjectis 
Catholicam  religionem  professus,  synanche  correptus, 

E  vita  decessit  IV  nonas  Augusti  MDCCCXXX, 

Aetatis  suae 
XXV. 

Amici  moerentes  posuere. 

Orate  pro  6o. 


Sec.  VI.] 


CEMETERIES  ON  ZION. 


339 


Near  by  is  the  grave  of  another  Frank,  whose 
death  took  place  under  circumstances  of  peculiar 
interest.  I  mean  that  of  Costigan,  the  Irish  traveller, 
who  died  in  1835  in  consequence  of  his  romantic 
though  rash  attempt  to  explore  the  Dead  Sea  in  an 
open  boat  in  the  middle  of  July.  He  had  contrived  to 
have  a  small  boat  carried  over  on  camels  from  the 
shore  of  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Lake  of  Tiberias ; 
and  thence  followed  the  Jordan  down  to  the  Dead 
Sea.  Here  he  launched  forth  alone  with  his  Maltese 
servant  upon  these  waters,  and  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  southern  extremity ;  but  by  some  mismanagement, 
they  were  left  for  two  or  three  days  without  fresh 
water,  exposed  to  the  fierce  rays  of  a  cloudless  sun, 
and  compelled  to  row  hard  to  get  back  to  the  northern 
end.  After  reaching  the  shore  they  lay  for  a  whole 
day,  too  weak  to  move,  and  trying  to  regain  strength 
by  laving  each  other  with  the  heavy  w7aters  of  the 
lake.  At  length  the  servant  made  shift  to  crawl  up 
to  Jericho,  where  Costigan  had  left  his  horse;  which 
was  immediately  sent  to  him  with  a  supply  of  water. 
He  wras  brought  to  the  village ;  and  the  next  morning 
despatched  a  messenger  on  his  own  horse  to  Mr.  Nico- 
layson,  requesting  medicine,  and  expressing  fears  of 
his  case.  This  gentleman  immediately  set  off  to  visit 
him ;  and  reached  him  at  2  o’clock  on  Thursday 
morning.  He  found  him  very  ill,  wdth  a  high  intermit¬ 
tent  fever.  As  there  could  be  no  hope  of  his  recovery 
at  Jericho,  Mr.  N.  tried  every  means  to  get  persons  to 
carry  him  to  Jerusalem  in  a  litter ;  but  without  success. 
The  only  way  of  removing  him,  was  to  sling  a  large 
sack  of  straw  on  each  side  of  a  horse,  and  then  place 
his  bed  upon  the  horse’s  back.  In  this  wTay  the  sufferer 
was  brought  to  the  city  with  great  difficulty ;  leaving 
Jericho  on  Friday  evening,  and  reaching  Jerusalem  at 
8  o’clock  the  next  morning.  The  journey  exhausted 


340 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


him  much  ;  no  medicine  could  he  brought  to  operate  ; 
and  he  died  on  Monday  morning  in  the  Latin  convent, 
where  he  had  a  room.  No  notes,  nor  any  account  of 
his  voyage,  were  found  among  his  papers.  These  cir¬ 
cumstances  were  related  to  us  by  Mr.  Nicolayson,  as 
we  stood  around  his  grave.1 

A  little  to  the  southward  of  the  Latin  cemetery, 
and  adjacent  to  the  N.  W.  enclosures  connected  with 
the  mosk  and  tomb  of  David,  is  a  small  plat  of  ground, 
which  has  been  purchased  by  the  American  Mission¬ 
aries  as  a  place  of  burial  for  their  dead.  To  this 
measure  they  were  driven  almost  by  necessity.  Two 
of  their  members,  Mrs.  Thomson  and  Dr.  Dodge,  had 
already  died  in  Jerusalem.  For  the  former  a  grave 
was  sought  and  obtained  without  difficulty  in  the 
cemetery  of  the  Greeks.  In  the  case  of  the  latter,  the 
same  permission  was  granted,  and  a  grave  dug ;  but 
as  they  were  about  to  proceed  to  the  burial,  word 
was  brought,  that  the  permission  had  been  recalled 
and  the  grave  filled  up.  On  a  strong  representation 
of  the  case  to  the  heads  of  the  Greek  convent,  the 
burial  was  allowed  to  take  place,  with  the  express 
understanding,  that  a  like  permission  would  never 
more  be  given.  In  consequence,  the  Missionaries 
purchased  this  little  spot  upon  Mount  Zion,  and  en¬ 
closed  it  with  a  common  wall  of  stone.  The  plat 
contains  two  or  three  olive-trees ;  and  looked  green 
and  peaceful ;  but  it  was  yet  untenanted.  After  the 
purchase  had  been  made  and  possession  delivered,  the 
authorities  of  the  city  hesitated  to  give  it  the  last  legal 
sanction.  They  did  not  object  to  the  transaction 


1)  Mr.  Stephens  saw  the  ser¬ 
vant  of  Costigan  at  Beirut,  and 
endeavoured  to  extract  from  him 
information  as  to  the  voyage ;  but 
all  that  he  obtained  is  confused 
and  of  little  value.  The  sketch  of 


the  Dead  Sea  which  Mr.  S.  add¬ 
ed  from  this  report,  lies  before 
me  as  I  write  ;  it  has  little  resem¬ 
blance  to  that  sea,  except  in  being 
longer  than  it  is  broad.  Incidents 
of  Travel,  Vol.  IX. 


Sec.  VI.] 


CEMETERIES.  SILOAM. 


341 


itself ;  but  as  they  wanted  a  bribe  of  some  fifty  dollars 
in  their  own  pockets,  they  professed  to  entertain 
scruples,  whether  it  was  fitting  that  Christian  corpses 
should  be  buried  so  near  the  sacred  tomb  of  David. 
The  matter  had  not  at  that  time  been  brought  to  a 
close  ;  and  until  this  was  done,  the  Missionaries  did 
not  choose  to  transfer  thither  the  relics  of  their  friends. 
I  have  since  learned,  that  during  the  last  year  (1840) 
the  Mission  caused  a  permanent  wall  to  be  erected 
around  the  plat,  with  a  door  under  lock  and  key;  and 
shortly  afterwards,  on  the  death  of  a  child  of  Mr. 
Nicolayson,  the  body  was  interred  with  all  due  formali¬ 
ties  within  the  precincts.  All  this  was  done  without 
opposition  on  the  part  of  the  authorities ;  and  as  such 
matters  are  here  usually  settled  by  full  possession  and 
prescription,  no  further  difficulty  is  apprehended. 

From  the  cemeteries  we  proceeded  eastward  along 
the  southern  wall  of  the  city ;  passing  by  the  Zion 
gate,  and  then  descending  along  the  slope  towards  the 
valley  of  the  Tyropoeon  or  Cheesemakers.  A  path 
soon  leaves  the  wall  and  leads  obliquely  down  the 
slope  S.  E.  in  the  direction  of  Siloam.  In  this  part 
it  becomes  steep  ;  and  the  Tyropoeon,  as  it  comes 
down  from  the  wall  near  the  great  mosk,  is  also  steep, 
and  forms  a  deep  ravine  with  banks  almost  precipitous. 
At  its  lower  end  it  turns  East  and  issues  into  the  vale 
of  the  Kidron. 

Here,  still  within  the  Tyropoeon,  is  the  Pool  of 
Siloam,  a  small  deep  reservoir  in  the  form  of  a  parallel¬ 
ogram,  into  which  the  water  flows  from  under  the 
rocks,  out  of  a  smaller  basin  hewn  in  the  solid  rock  a 
few  feet  further  up  ;  to  which  is  a  descent  by  a  few 
steps.  This  is  wholly  an  artificial  work ;  and  the 
water  comes  to  it  through  a  subterraneous  channel 
from  the  Fountain  of  Mary,  higher  up  in  the  valley  of 
Jehoshaphat.  The  hill  or  ridge  Ophel  lying  between 


342 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


the  Tyropoeon  and  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  ends 
here,  just  over  the  Pool  of  Siloam,  in  a  steep  point  of 
rock  forty  or  fifty  feet  high.  Along  the  base  of  this 
the  water  is  conducted  from  the  pool  in  a  small  chan¬ 
nel  hewn  in  the  rocky  bottom  ;  and  is  then  led  off  to 
irrigate  gardens  of  fig  and  other  fruit  trees  and  plants, 
lying  in  terraces  quite  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  Val¬ 
ley  of  Jehoshaphat;  a  descent  still  of  some  forty  or 
fifty  feet.  The  waters  of  Siloam,  as  we  saw  them, 
were  lost  in  these  gardens.  On  the  right,  just  below 
the  pool,  and  opposite  the  point  of  Ophel,  is  a  large 
mulberry-tree,  with  a  terrace  of  stones  surrounding  its 
trunk,  where  they  say  Isaiah  was  sawn  asunder. 

We  now  passed  along  up  the  Valley  of  Jehosha¬ 
phat,  which  is  here  narrow  and  the  sides  high  and 
steep.  On  our  right,  clinging  to  the  rocky  side  of 
the  Mount  of  Offence,  so  called,  are  the  stone  hovels 
of  the  straggling  village  of  Siloam,  Kefr  Selwan,  many 
of  which  are  built  before  caves  or  rather  excavated 
sepulchres ;  while  in  various  places  the  sepulchres 
themselves,  without  addition,  are  used  as  dwellings. 
A  little  further  up  the  valley,  under  the  western  hill, 
is  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin,1  a  deep  excavation  in 
the  solid  rock,  evidently  artificial,  into  which  one 
descends  by  two  successive  flights  of  steps.  The 
water  is  apparently  brought  hither  by  some  unknown 
and  perhaps  artificial  channel ;  and  flows  off  through 
a  subterraneous  passage  under  the  hill  Ophel  to  the 
Pool  of  Siloam.  At  a  later  period  we  crawled  through 
the  whole  length  of  this  passage.  We  drank  of  the 
water,  and  remarked  a  peculiar  though  not  unpleasant 
taste.  We  had  been  told  that  the  people  did  not  use 
it  for  drinking ;  but  we  found  here,  as  at  Siloam, 
women  filling  their  water-skins,  which  like  Hagar 

1)  Called  by  some  travellers  tion  from  the  PooZ  of  Siloam  below; 
the  Fountain  of  Siloam  in  distinc-  but  without  any  good  reason. 


Sec.  VI.] 


FOUNTAIN  OF  THE  VIRGIN. 


343 


they  bore  off  on  their  shoulders.  They  said  they  used 
it  now  for  drinking;  hut  when  in  summer  the  water 
becomes  lower,  it  is  then  not  good  and  has  a  brackish 
taste. 

Above  this  fountain  the  valley  becomes  very  nar¬ 
row.  It  is  everywhere  only  a  water-course  between 
high  hills ;  and  the  brook  Kidron  now  never  flows, 
and  probably  never  flowed  along  its  bottom,  except 
in  the  season  of  rain. 

From  the  fountain  a  path  ascends  obliquely,  but 
steeply,  to  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the  area  of  the  great 
mosk.  This  forms  at  the  same  time  the  extreme  S. 
E.  corner  of  the  city-wall,  and  stands  directly  on  the 
brow  of  the  almost  precipitous  side  of  the  valley,  here 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  deep.  Further  North 
the  brow  juts  out  a  little  more,  leaving  a  narrow  strip  of 
level  ground  outside  of  the  wall,  which  is  occupied  as  a 
Muhammedan  cemetery.  The  tombs  are  here  thickly 
crowded  together ;  and  frequently,  as  we  passed  this 
way  afterwards,  there  was  a  stench  arising  apparently 
from  corpses  mouldering  in  their  shallow  graves. 
The  Muhammedans  prefer  this  cemetery  to  all  the 
others,  as  being  very  near  to  the  great  mosk.1 

The  lower  part  of  this  wall  in  several  places  is 
composed  of  very  large  hewn  stones,  which  at  once 
strike  the  eye  of  the  beholder  as  ancient ;  as  being  at 
least  as  old  as  the  time  of  Herod,  if  not  of  Solomon. 
The  upper  part  of  the  wall  is  everywhere  obviously 
modern ;  as  is  the  whole  wall  in  many  places.  The 
Golden  Gate,  which  once  led  out  from  the  area  of  the 
mosk  upon  this  side,  is  now  walled  up.  Near  the  N. 
E.  corner  of  this  area,  towards  St.  Stephen’s  Gate,  we 
measured  one  of  the  large  stones  in  the  wall,  and 


1)  Hist,  of  Jems,  in  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II.  p.  134. 


344  JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS.  [Sec.  VI. 

found  it  twenty-four  feet  long,  by  six  feet  broad  and 
three  feet  high.  Just  North  of  the  same  gate  is  a 
small  tank  or  reservoir  on  the  outside ;  and  within 
the  gate,  on  the  left  hand,  is  the  very  large  and  deep 
reservoir,  to  which  the  name  of  Bethesda  is  commonly 
given,  though  probably  without  good  reason.  It  is 
entirely  dry ;  and  large  trees  grow  at  the  bottom,  the 
tops  of  which  do  not  reach  the  level  of  the  street. 
North  of  this,  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  street,  is  the 
dilapidated  church  of  St.  Anne,  over  the  grotto  which 
is  shown  as  the  birth-place  of  the  Virgin.  The  church 
has  pointed  arches ;  and  was  obviously  the  work  of 
the  crusaders.1 

We  now  returned  home  along  the  Via  dolorosa; 
in  which  monkish  tradition  has  brought  together  the 
scenes  of  all  the  events,  historical  or  legendary,  con¬ 
nected  with  the  crucifixion.2  Along  this  way,  they 
say,  our  Saviour  bore  his  cross.  Here  one  may  see, 
if  he  pleases,  the  place  where  the  Saviour,  fainting 
under  his  burden,  leaned  against  the  wall  of  a  house; 
and  the  impression  of  his  shoulder  remains  unto  this 
day.  Near  by  are  also  pointed  out  the  houses  of  the 
Rich  Man  and  Lazarus  in  the  parable.  To  judge 
from  present  appearances,  the  beggar  was  quite  as 
well  lodged  as  his  opulent  neighbour.  But  enough  of 
these  absurdities ! 


1)  William  of  Tyre  mentions 
on  this  spot  the  House  of  Anna,  as 
a  place  where  three  or  four  poor 
women  had  consecrated  them¬ 
selves  to  a  monastic  life.  About 
A.  D.  1113,  King  Baldwin  I.  com¬ 
pelled  his  Armenian  wife  to  take 
the  veil  in  this  convent ;  which  at 
the  same  time  he  richly  endowed. 
Will.  Tyr.  XI.  1.  Wilken  Gesch. 
der  Kreuzz.  II.  p.  397.  According 
to  Jac.  de  Vitriaco,  this  was  called 


the  Abbey  of  St.  Anne,  and  was 
inhabited  by  an  Abbess  and  Black 
Nuns,  i.  e.  of  the  Benedictine  or¬ 
der  ;  Hist.  Hieros.  58.  p.  1078. — 
Saewulf  in  1102-3  already  speaks 
of  a  church  here  ;  p.  264. 

2)  The  earliest  allusion  I  have 
been  able  to  find  to  the  Via  dolo¬ 
rosa,  is  in  Marinus  Sanutus  in  the 
fourteenth  century  ;  de  Secret,  fid. 
Cruc.  III.  14.  10. 


Sec.  VI.] 


GROTTO  OF  JEREMIAH. 


345 


GETHSEMANE,  THE  MOUNT  OF  OLIVES,  ETC. 

The  forenoon  of  the  next  day,  Wednesday,  April 
18th,  taking  our  servant  Ibrahim,  I  went  alone  with 
him  out  of  the  Yafa  gate,  and  keeping  to  the  right 
passed  around  the  N.  W.  corner  of  the  city  wall,  where 
stands  a  terebinth  or  Butm-tree  of  considerable  size ; 
and  then  descended  to  the  Damascus  gate.  Here  I 
struck  out  to  the  left  through  the  open  field  to  the 
Grotto  of  Jeremiah,  so  called  by  the  monks.  It  lies 
under  a  round  isolated  rocky  hill,  the  S.  side  of  which 
has  apparently  been  cut  away  to  an  irregular  face, 
under  which  is  the  entrance  to  the  grotto.  In  front  is 
a  small  garden  walled  in ;  but  the  door  was  closed,  so 
that  I  could  not  gain  access  to  the  cavern  itself;  nor 
were  we  more  successful  at  a  subsequent  visit.  The 
top  of  the  hill  is  occupied  as  a  Muslim  cemetery.1  The 
southern  front  of  this  hill  stands  overagainst  the  pre¬ 
cipitous  northern  side  of  Bezetha,  crowned  by  the  city 
wall ;  and  one  might  almost  imagine  that  the  two 
hills  once  formed  one  ridge,  of  which  the  intervening 
portion  had  been  cut  away  by  art. 

Returning  to  the  path,  I  kept  along  the  city  wall 
towards  the  East.  Before  reaching  the  N.  E.  corner 
of  the  city,  there  is  near  the  wall,  or  indeed  in  the 
trench,  what  seems  to  have  been  a  small  reservoir  for 
water,  communicating  perhaps  along  the  trench  with 
that  which  we  had  seen  the  day  before  near  St.  Ste¬ 
phen’s  gate.  Passing  down  the  steep  hill  from  this 
gate  into  the  valley  of  the  Kidron,  and  crossing  the 
bridge  over  the  dry  water-course,  one  has  on  the  left 


1)  Prokesch  describes  the  inte¬ 
rior  of  this  grotto  as  nearly  round, 
some  forty  paces  in  diameter,  per¬ 
haps  30  feet  high  in  the  middle, 
and  supported  by  two  massive  pil¬ 
lars.  It  is  inhabited  by  a  Muslim 
saint,  who  sells  places  lor  graves  in 

Vol.  I.  44 


the  grotto  and  in  the  garden  before 
it,  while  above  are  also  graves; 
Reise  ins  heil.  Land,  p.  95.  The 
place  was  in  much  the  same  state 
early  in  the  sixteenth  century ; 
see  Hist,  of  Jerusalem  in  Fundgr. 
des  Orients,  II.  p.  133. 


346 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS.  [Sec.  VI. 


the  half  subterranean  church  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  with 
an  excavated  grotto  or  chapel  called  her  tomb.  Be¬ 
fore  the  low  building  is  a  small  sunken  court ;  from 
which  there  is  a  descent  by  many  steps  into  the  church. 
The  earliest  notice  of  this  tomb  and  church  is  in  the 
seventh  century ;  and  it  is  also  mentioned  by  the  his¬ 
torians  of  the  crusades.1 

Near  the  same  bridge  and  church,  on  the  right,  is 
the  place  fixed  on  by  early  tradition  as  the  site  of  the 
garden  of  Gethsemane.  It  is  a  plat  of  ground  nearly 
square,  enclosed  by  an  ordinary  stone-wall.  The  N. 
W.  corner  is  one  hundred  and  forty-five  feet  distant 
from  the  bridge.  The  W.  side  measures  one  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  in  length ;  and  the  N.  side  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet.  Within  this  enclosure  are  eight  very 
old  olive-trees,  with  stones  thrown  together  around 
their  trunks.  There  is  nothing  peculiar  in  this  plat 
to  mark  it  as  Gethsemane  ;  for  adjacent  to  it  are  other 
similar  enclosures,  and  many  olive-trees  equally  old. 
The  spot  was  not  improbably  fixed  upon  during  the 
visit  of  Helena  to  Jerusalem,  A.  D.  326 ;  when  the 
places  of  the  crucifixion  and  resurrection  were  sup¬ 
posed  to  be  identified.  Before  that  time  no  such 
tradition  is  alluded  to.  Eusebius,  writing  apparently 
a  few  years  afterwards,  says  Gethsemane  was  at  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  and  was  then  a  place  of  prayer  for 
the  faithful.2  Sixty  years  or  more  afterwards,  Jerome 


1)  First  by  Adamnanus  ex  Ar- 
culfo  (I.  13)  about  A.  D.  697  ;  then 
by  St.  Willibald  about  A.  D,  765. 
Also  by  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  2.  Bro- 
cardus.  c.  8.  Mar.  Sanut.  III.  14. 
9. — Monkish  tradition  almost  as  a 
matter  of  course  now  refers  the 
building  of  this  church  to  Helena ; 
though  Marinus  Sanutus  (and  ap¬ 
parently  Brocardus)  gravely  sup¬ 
poses  it  to  have  existed  before  the 
destruction  of  the  city  by  Adrian, 
and  to  have  been  thus  deeply  cov¬ 
ered  over  by  the  ruins  then  thrown 
down  into  the  valley;  de  Secret. 


fid.  1.  c.  But  Nicephorus  Callistus 
in  the  same  (fourteenth)  century, 
already  ascribes  it  to  Helena ;  lib. 
VIII.  c.  30. — Arabian  writers  call 
this  church  el-Jesmaniyeh,  i.  e.  Geth¬ 
semane  ;  and  so  the  natives  at  the 
present  day.  Edrisi  par  Jaubert, 
p.  344.  Hist,  of  Jerus.  in  Fundgr. 
des  Orient.  II.  p.  132. 

2)  The  I  tin.  Hierosol.  seu  Bur - 
digal.  A.  D.  333,  mentions  the 
“  rock  where  Judas  betrayed 
Christ”  as  being  in  the  valley  of 
Jehoshaphat. 


Sec.  VI.] 


GETHSEMANE. 


347 


places  it  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and  says  a  church 
had  been  built  over  it ;  which  is  also  mentioned  by 
Theophanes  as  existing  near  the  end  of  the  seventh 
century.1  The  garden  is  likewise  spoken  of  by  Anto¬ 
ninus  Martyr  at  the  end  of  the  sixth  century,  by 
Adamnanus,  and  by  writers  of  the  times  of  the  cru¬ 
sades.2  There  would  seem  therefore  little  reason  to 
doubt,  that  the  present  site  is  the  same  to  which 
Eusebius  alludes.  Whether  it  is  the  true  site,  is  per¬ 
haps  a  matter  of  more  question.3 

Giving  myself  up  to  the  impressions  of  the  moment, 
I  sat  down  here  for  a  time  alone  beneath  one  of  the 
aged  trees.  All  was  silent  and  solitary  around  ;  only 
a  herd  of  goats  were  feeding  not  far  off,  and  a  few 
flocks  of  sheep  grazing  on  the  side  of  the  mountain. 
High  above  towered  the  dead  walls  of  the  city ; 
through  which  there  penetrated  no  sound  of  human 
life.  It  was  almost  like  the  stillness  and  loneliness  of 


the  desert.  Here,  or  at  least  not  far  off,  the  Saviour 
endured  that  “  agony  and  bloody  sweat,”  which  was 
connected  with  the  redemption  of  the  world ;  and  here 
in  deep  submission  he  prayed  :  “  O  my  father,  if  this 
cup  may  not  pass  away  from  me  except  I  drink  it, 
thy  will  be  done  !”4 

From  the  bridge  three  paths  lead  up  to  the  sum¬ 
mit  of  the  Mount  of  Olives.  One,  a  mere  foot-path, 
strikes  up  in  a  direct  course  along  a  steep  projecting 


1)  Eusebius  et  Hieron.  Ono- 
mnast.  art.  Gethsemani.  Theophan. 
Chron.  A.  D.  C83.  Comp.  Reland 
Pal.  p.  857. — Cyrill  of  Jerus.  also 
epeaks  of  Gethsemane;  Catach. 
XIII.  p.  140.  ed.  Oxon. 

2)  Antonin.  Mart.  17.  Adam- 
nanus  ex  Arculf.  I.  13.  Jac.  de 
Vitr.  Hist.  Hierosol.  63.  Brocar- 
dus,  c.  8. 

3)  According  to  the  Evangelist 
John,  Jesus  “went  forth  over  the 

brook  Cedron,  where  was  a  gar¬ 


den,”  xviii.  1,  2.  But  Luke  says 
he  “  went  out  as  he  was  wont  to 
the  Mount  of  Olives,”  xxii.  39.  This 
last  passage,  taken  in  connection 
with  Luke  xxi.  37,  where  it  is  said 
that  he  taught  in  the  day-time  in 
the  temple,  and  at  night  went  out 
and  abode  in  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
may  suggest  a  doubt,  whether 
Gethsemane  was  not  perhaps  situ¬ 
ated  higher  up  on  the  Mount  of 
Olives. 

4)  Matt.  xxvi.  42. 


348 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


part  of  the  hill ;  a  second  passes  up  more  circuitously 
to  the  left,  where  the  hill  retires  a  little  and  has  a 
more  gradual  slope  ;  and  the  third  winds  up  along  the 
face  further  South.  The  sides  of  the  mountain  ar6 
still  sprinkled  with  olive-trees,  though  not  thickly,  as 
was  probably  the  case  of  old ;  and  a  few  other  trees 
are  occasionally  seen.  I  took  the  middle  path,  which 
brought  me  out  at  the  church  of  the  Ascension  and 
the  mosk,  situated  on  the  summit.1  Around  them  are 
a  few  huts,  forming  a  miserable  village.  Here  one  is 
able  to  look  down  upon  the  city  and  survey  at  least 
the  roofs  of  the  houses.  The  view  may  be  said  indeed 
to  be  a  very  full  one ;  but  it  is  not  particularly  inter¬ 
esting.  It  presents  a  dull  mixed  mass  of  roofs  and 
domes ;  but  the  distance  is  too  great  to  be  able  to 
distinguish  the  buildings  or  the  topography  of  the  city 
in  any  good  degree.  A  more  pleasing  view  is  obtained 
from  various  points  lower  down  the  side  of  the  moun¬ 
tain. 

From  the  church  on  the  summit,  only  the  city  and 
the  western  prospect  are  visible ;  the  eastern  view 
being  cut  off  by  a  higher  part  or  ridge  of  the  hill  some 
twenty  or  thirty  rods  further  East,  with  a  Wely  or 
tomb  of  a  Muslim  saint  upon  it.  From  this  Wely  one 
obtains  a  commanding  view  of  the  northern  end  and 
portion  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  also  of  the  adjacent  coun¬ 
try,  including  a  large  part  of  the  valley  of  the  Jordan, 
as  well  as  the  naked  dreary  region  lying  between 
Jerusalem  and  Jericho,  and  between  Bethlehem  and 
the  Dead  Sea.  The  course  of  the  river  Jordan  could 
be  traced  by  the  narrow  strip  of  verdure  which  clothes 


1)  The  various  supposed  sites 
of  scriptural  events,  which  the 
monks  have  fixed  upon  the  side 
of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  may  be 
seen  in  Maundrell,  Prokesch  (p. 
80),  and  other  travellers. — Edrisi 
speaks  of  a  large  church  on  the  ac¬ 


clivity,  called  Pater  Noster ;  p.  344, 
ed.  Jaubert.  This  is  probably  the 
same  mentioned  by  Sir  J.  Maun- 
deville,  as  on  or  near  the  spot 
where  Jesus  taught  his  disciples 
the  Lord’s  prayer ;  p.  96.  Lond. 
1839. 


Sec.  VI.]  VIEW  FROM  THE  MOUNT  OF  OLIVES.  349 

its  banks.  Beyond  its  valley,  the  eastern  mountains 
stretch  off  northward  and  southward  in  a  long  even 
ridge,  apparently  unbroken.  They  present  to  the 
view,  as  here  seen,  no  single  peak  or  separate  summit, 
which  could  be  taken  for  the  Nebo  of  the  Scrip¬ 
tures.  At  a  considerable  distance  N.  of  Jericho, 
indeed,  a  loftier  summit  is  seen,  forming  the  highest 
point  of  the  mountains  of  Gilead,  just  North  of  es-Salt ; 
but  this  could  not  have  been  Nebo. 

The  atmosphere  was  at  the  time  perfectly  clear, 
and  the  waters  of  the  Dead  Sea  lay  bright  and  spark¬ 
ling  in  the  sunbeams,  seemingly  not  more  than  eight 
or  ten  miles  distant,  though  actually  much  further  off. 
I  unfortunately  neglected  to  look  for  Kerak,  which 
would  doubtless  have  been  visible  in  so  clear  a  day. 
When  we  sought  for  it  in  a  later  visit,  the  haziness  of 
the  atmosphere  prevented  us  from  distinguishing  it. — 
Towards  the  W.  and  N.  W.  the  view  extends  to  the 
Terebinth  Valley  so  called,  and  the  high  point  and 
mosk  of  Neby  Samwil. 

I  returned  down  the  mount  by  the  more  southern 
path ;  from  which  a  branch  led  me  across  the  Jewish 
cemetery  to  the  Tombs  of  Absalom  and  Zechariah  so 
called,  at  the  bottom  of  the  valley,  just  under  the  S. 
E.  corner  of  the  wall  of  the  mosk  and  city.  Here  is 
the  narrowest  part  of  the  valley.  Close  by  the  tombs 
is  a  well,  which  then  had  water,  though  it  seemed  not 
to  be  used ;  and  here  is  also  another  bridge  of  stone 
over  the  torrent-bed  with  a  fine  arch.  From  this  point 
a  rugged  foot-path  ascends  towards  St.  Stephen’s 
Gate ;  entering  which,  I  returned  home  by  the  Via 
dolorosa. 

Jews’  place  of  wailing,  etc. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day,  I  went  with  Mr. 
Lanneau  to  the  place  where  the  Jews  are  permitted 


350 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS;  [Sec.  VI. 


to  purchase  the  right  of  approaching  the  site  of  their 
temple,  and  of  praying  and  wailing  over  its  ruins  and 
the  downfall  of  their  nation.  The  spot  is  on  the  west¬ 
ern  exterior  of  the  area  of  the  great  mosk,  considerably 
South  of  the  middle;  and  is  approached  only  by  a 
narrow  crooked  lane,  which  there  terminates  at  the 
wall  in  a  very  small  open  place.  The  lower  part  of 
the  wall  is  here  composed  of  the  same  kind  of  ancient 
stones,  which  we  had  before  seen  on  the  eastern  side. 
Two  old  men,  Jews,  sat  there  upon  the  ground,  read¬ 
ing  together  in  a  hook  of  Hebrew  prayers.  On  Fri¬ 
days  they  assemble  here  in  greater  numbers.  It  is 
the  nearest  point  in  which  they  can  venture  to  approach 
their  ancient  temple ;  and  fortunately  for  them,  it  is 
sheltered  from  observation  by  the  narrowness  of  the 
lane  and  the  dead  walls  around.  Here,  bowed  in  the 
dust,  they  may  at  least  weep  undisturbed  over  the 
fallen  glory  of  their  race ;  and  bedew  with  their  tears 
the  soil,  which  so  many  thousands  of  their  forefathers 
once  moistened  with  their  blood. 

This  touching  custom  of  the  Jews  is  not  of  modern 
origin.  Benjamin  of  Tudela  mentions  it,  as  connected 
apparently  with  the  same  spot,  in  the  twelfth  century ; 
and  very  probably  the  custom  has  come  down  from 
still  earlier  ages.1  After  the  capture  of  Jerusalem 
under  Adrian,  the  Jews  were  excluded  from  the  city ; 
and  it  was  not  till  the  age  of  Constantine  that  they 
were  permitted  to  approach,  so  as  to  behold  Jerusalem 
from  the  neighbouring  hills.2  At  length  they  were 
allowed  to  enter  the  city  once  a  year,  on  the  day  on 
which  it  was  taken  by  Titus,  in  order  to  wail  over  the 
ruins  of  the  temple.  But  -this  privilege  they  were 

1)  Benj.  de  Tud.  par  Baratier  in  Psalm,  ed.  Montfauc.  p.  267,  382. 

I.  p.  90.  Hilar,  in  Psalm.  58.  No.  12.  See 

2)  Sulpic.  Sev.  Hist.  Sacr.  II.  Munter,  der  Jiidische  Krieg  unter 
45.  Euseb.  Chron. — Also  Euseb.  Trajan  and  Hadrian,  p.  97. 


Sec.  VI.] 


JEWS5  PLACE  OF  WAILING. 


351 


obliged  to  purchase  of  the  Roman  soldiers.1— Accord¬ 
ing  to  Benjamin,  as  above  cited,  the  Jews  in  his  day 
regarded  this  of  the  wall  as  having  belonged 

to  the  court|^^^^^Kcient  temple. 

Turning^^^^Mriewhat  from  this  spot,  and  thread* 
ing  our  way  nflmigh  other  narrow  lanes  with  sharp 
corners,  and  then  through  a  tract  planted  with  the 
prickly-pear,  we  came  to  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the  area 
of  the  great  mosk,  where  the  wall  is  quite  high. 
Around  this  corner  is  an  open  level  plat  of  ground, 
which  was  now  ploughed,  extending  to  the  city-wall 
on  the  South.  This  latter,  which  here  runs  from  W. 
to  E.  is  low  on  the  inside,  hut  high  on  the  outside; 
forming  a  high  offset  between  the  level  plat  above  and 
the  open  fields  further  South.  Further  East  this  wall 
turns  North  at  a  right  angle  and  unites  with  the 
southern  wall  of  the  area  of  the  mosk,  about  one  third 
of  the  way  from  its  S.  W.  to  the  S.  E.  corner.  The 
stones  in  the  lower  part  of  the  wall  of  the  area  at  the 
S.  W.  corner,  are  of  immense  size ;  and  on  the  western 
side,  at  first  view,  some  of  them  seem  to  have  been 
started  from  their  places,  as  if  the  wall  had  burst  and 
was  about  to  fall  down.  We  paid  little  attention  to 
this  appearance  at  the  time ;  but  subsequent  examina¬ 
tion  led  here  to  one  of  our  most  interesting  discoveries. 
South  of  this  comer,  in  the  city-wall,  and  near  the  bed 
or  channel  of  the  Tyropoeon,  is  a  small  gate  now 
closed  up.  This  the  monks  in  their  zeal  to  find  an 
application  for  all  scriptural  names,  have  honoured  (or 
dishonoured)  with  the  name  of  the  Dung  Gate;  al- 


1)  Miinter  1.  c.  Hieron.  in  Zc- 
phan.  c.  i.  15,  “Et,  ut  ruinam  suae 
eis  flere  liceat  civitatis,  pretio  redi- 
munt;  ut  qui  quondam  emerant 
sanguinem  Christi,  emant  lacry- 
mas  suas.  Et  ne  fletus  quidem  eis 
gratuitus  sit ;  videas  in  die  quo 
capta  est  a  Romanis  et  diruta  Je¬ 


rusalem,  venire  populum  lugu- 
brem  ....  plangere  ruinas  tempi! 
sui ;  et  miles  mercedem  postulat, 
ut  illis  flere  plus  liceat.” — See  also 
Gregor.  Nazianz.  Orat.  XII.  Va- 
lesii  Annot.  in  Euseb.  Hist.  Ecc. 
IV.  6. 


/ 


/ 


352  JERUSALEM. — FIRST  IMPRESSIONS.  [Sec.  VL 

though  neither  the  ancient  gate  of  that  name,  nor  the 
ancient  wall,  could  have  been  anywhere  in  this 
vicinity. 

The  present  citywvall  is  bui^^^^B|  most  part 
with  a  breastwork ;  that  is,  the  e^o^^^Hie  is  carried 
up  several  feet  higher  than  the  iinffl^r  part  of  the 
wall,  leaving  a  broad  and  convenient  walk  along  the 
top  of  the  latter  for  the  accommodation  of  the  defenders. 
This  is  protected  by  the  parapet  or  breastwork,  which 
has  battlements  and  loopholes.  There  are  also  flights  of 
steps  to  ascend  or  descend  at  convenient  distances  on  the 
inside.  Mounting  upon  the  city-wall  in  this  manner 
near  the  area  of  the  mosk,  we  kept  along  over  the 
Dung  Gate  so  called,  and  up  Mount  Zion,  passing  a 
well  with  water  on  the  way;  and  then  descending 
from  the  wall  near  the  Gate  of  Zion,  we  returned 
home  through  the  Jews7  quarter  on  the  N.  E.  slope  of 
the  same  hill. 


UPPER  POOL,  GIHON,  ETC. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day,  (Thursday, 
April  19th,)  Messrs.  Smith  and  Nicolayson  and  myself 
took  a  short  walk  to  look  at  the  ground  and  objects 
West  and  Northwest  of  the  Yafa  Gate,  and  along  the 
road  to  Yafa.  We  went  first  to  the  large  tank  lying 
in  the  basin  which  forms  the  head  of  the  Valley  of 
Hinnom,  or  more  properly  perhaps  of  the  Valley  of 
Gihon;  since  this  would  seem  to  be  the  quarter  to 
which  that  name  of  old  belonged.  The  tank  was  now 
dry  ;  but  in  the  rainy  season  it  becomes  full ;  and  its 
waters  are  then  conducted  by  a  small  rude  aqueduct 
or  channel  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Yafa  Gate,  and  so  to 
the  Pool  of  Hezekiah  within  the  city.  The  tract 
around  this  tank,  especially  towards  the  N.  E.  is  occu¬ 
pied  as  a  Muslim  cemetery,  the  largest  around  the 


Sec.  VI.]  upper  pool,  etc.  353 

city.  The  tombs  are  scattered  and  old  ;  some  of  the 
larger  ones  indeed  have  the  appearance  of  great  anti¬ 
quity.  ,  . 

We  return^B  ajjross  the  higher  ground  on  the  North 
of  this  basin ,fto\y|H,ds  the  Damascus  Gate,  in  order  to 
examine  whether  perhaps  the  valley  of  the  Tyropoeon 
extended  up  at  all  beyond  the  city  in  that  direction. 
There  is  however  no  trace  of  any  valley  or  of  any 
depression  in  this  quarter,  before  reaching  the  decli¬ 
vity  stretching  down  to  the  Damascus  Gate.  The 
whole  interval  between  this  gate  and  Gihon  is  occu¬ 
pied  by  a  broad  hill  or  swell  of  land,  rising  somewhat 
higher  than  the  N.  W.  part  of  the  city  itself.  The 
ground  on  the  West,  as  well  as  on  the  North  of  the 
present  city,  would  seem  to  have  once  been  built  over ; 
or  at  least  occasional  buildings  once  stood  upon  it. 
Fragments  of  polished  marble  are  often  picked  up 
here ;  and  especially  the  small  cubes  of  marble  of  dif¬ 
ferent  colours,  not  much  larger  than  dice,  which  were 
employed  in  the  construction  of  the  ancient  tesselated 
pavements. 

We  entered  the  city  again  by  the  gate  of  Yafa  or 
Hebron;  and  threading  our  way  towards  the  left 
through  several  lanes,  passed  the  Coptic  convent,  then 
rebuilding,  at  the  northern  end  of  the  Pool  of  Hezekiah. 
This  latter  still  had  water  covering  its  bottom,  though 
apparently  not  deep. 

VALLEY  OF  HINNOM,  WELL  OF  JOB,  ETC. 

Walking  out  alone  one  day,  I  passed  over  Mount 
Zion  to  its  southern  brow,  and  then  descended  its  steep 
side  without  a  path  and  with  some  difficulty,  to  the  Val¬ 
ley  of  Hinnom.  The  bottom  of  the  valley  has  here  more 
width  and  descends  rapidly  towards  the  East ;  further 
down  it  is  narrower  and  has  a  still  steeper  descent. 
On  the  S.  the  hill  in  many  parts  rises  at  first  in  rocky 

Vol.  I.  45 


354 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


precipices,  with  other  ledges  of  rocks  higher  up  on  the 
steep  side  ;  and  these  rocks  and  the  whole  face  of  the 
hill  are  full  of  excavated  tombs.  On  the  same  hill¬ 
side,  further  East  along  the  valley^  ijjdie  Aceldama 
or  Potter’s  Field,  so  called.  The  ttfjgibs  Continue  quite 
down  to  the  corner  of  the  mountain,  where  it  bends 
off  southwards  along  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat. 

My  course  was  along  the  side  of  the  hill  among  the 
tombs  ;  and  then  descending  near  the  junction  of  the 
two  vallies,  I  came  to  the  Well  of  Nehemiah  as  the 
Franks  call  it,  or  the  Well  of  Job  according  to  the 
natives.  Neither  name  has  apparently  any  good 
foundation.  We  shall  afterwards  see  that  this  is  without 
much  doubt  the  En-Rogel  of  Scripture.  It  is  a  deep 
well  of  living  water ;  but  in  the  rainy  season  overflows. 

Passing  from  hence  up  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat 
and  visiting  again  Siloam  and  the  Tomb  of  Absalom, 
I  returned  home  by  St.  Stephen’s  Gate.  This  walk 
gave  me  a  stronger  impression  of  the  height  and  steep¬ 
ness  of  Zion,  than  I  had  before  received. 

TOMBS  OF  THE  KINGS  AND  JUDGES,  MOUNT  ZION,  ETC. 

We  visited  several  times  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings, 
so  called,  (probably  the  tomb  of  Helena,)  and  took  the 
measurement  of  them,  as  will  he  described  in  the  pro¬ 
per  place.  They  lie  directly  North  of  the  Damascus 
Gate,  just  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  great  road  to  Na- 
bulus.  The  way  leads  to  them  through  the  olive- 
grove  which  now  covers  the  level  tract  on  this  side  of 
the  city.  A  considerable  portion  of  this  plain  was 
once  apparently  occupied  by  buildings.  Fragments 
of  marble  and  mosaic  tesserae  are  often  found  here ; 
and  several  ancient  cisterns,  now  partly  fallen  in,  fur¬ 
nish  unequivocal  evidence  of  former  habitations.  The 
stones  with  which  the  soil  was  thickly  strewed,  have 


Sec.  VI.] 


UPPER  POOL,  ETC. 


355 


been  gathered  into  heaps  or  laid  up  in  terraces ;  and 
the  fields  thus  cleared  have  now  been  tilled  for  cen¬ 
turies. 

One  forenoon,  (Friday,  April  27th,)  Messrs.  Smith 
and  Lanneau  Std  myself  went  out  to  the  Tombs  of 
the  Kings,  to  look  at  them  again,  and  to  inspect  the 
progress  of  some  excavations  which  we  had  set  on 
foot.  We  remained  here  but  a  short  time  ;  and  then 
proceeded  further.  Just  beyond  these  tombs  the  val¬ 
ley  of  the  Kidron,  which  thus  far  extends  up  North 
from  the  city,  turns  to  the  West  at  a  right  angle,  and 
then  shortly  again  resumes  its  former  direction,  run¬ 
ning  up  North  nearly  to  the  Tombs  of  the  Judges. 
The  great  Nabulus  road  crosses  the  valley  here,  where 
it  runs  from  W.  to  E.  On  the  right  of  this  road,  five 
minutes  from  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  and  just  as  it 
descends  into  the  valley,  is  a  Wely,  or  tomb  of  a  Mus¬ 
lim  Saint,  with  which  is  connected  a  small  Khan  now 
half  in  ruins.  Here  a  deformed  Sheikh  resides  as 
keeper,  with  a  jug  of  water  and  a  coflfee-pot  for  the 
refreshment  of  travellers ;  expecting  from  them  pre¬ 
sents  in  return,  by  which  to  live.  As  Mr.  L.  was  ac¬ 
quainted  with  the  Sheikh,  we  stopped  for  a  few  mo¬ 
ments,  took  coffee,  and  looked  in  upon  his  Khan.  The 
arched  stalls  for  the  animals  around  the  small  court 
remain ;  but  the  chambers  above  for  the  guests  are 

A 

gone.  The  name  of  the  Saint  was  Husein  Ibn  ’Isa  el- 
Jerrahy.  According  to  the  tradition  of  the  Sheikh,  he 
was  one  of  the  companions  of  the  Khalif  Omar  when 
he  took  Jerusalem. 

Passing  along  up  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  the 
sides  of  which  are  everywhere  studded  with  tombs 
excavated  in  the  rocks,  we  came  to  the  sepulchres  of 
the  Judges,  so  called.  These  lie  near  the  head  of  the 
valley,  on  the  right  hand  of  the  path,  just  beyond  the 
water-summit  between  the  waters  of  the  Dead  Sea 


356  JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS.  [Sec.  VI. 

and  Mediterranean.  Here  the  ground  begins  to  de¬ 
scend  N.  W.  towards  the  great  valley  usually  (though 
falsely)  called  by  Franks  the  Valley  of  Turpentine  or 
of  the  Terebinth  ;  but  for  which  the  natives  have  here 
no  other  name  than  Wady  Beit  Hanin^  At  this  point 
we  were  in  full  view  of  Neby  Samwil,  hearing  N.  40° 
W.  on  the  high  hill  beyond  that  valley;  and  could 
also  see  Kustul  bearing  W. 

After  examining  the  sepulchres,  we  returned  over 
the  eastern  hill,  striking  the  great  northern  road  near 
the  brow  of  the  ascent  by  which  it  rises  after  crossing 
the  valley.  This  is  doubtless  the  Scopus  of  the  ancients ; 
it  affords  one  of  the  most  pleasing  views  of  the  city; 
though  less  distinct  than  one  from  a  point  further  S. 
E.  Passing  again  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  we  directed 
our  course  towards  the  N.  W.  corner  of  Jerusalem,  in 
order  to  trace  out,  if  possible,  some  foundations  we 
had  before  seen,  apparently  belonging  to  the  third 
wall  of  the  ancient  city,  as  described  by  Josephus.  In 
this  we  were  partially  successful. 

We  came  at  length  to  the  Yafa  Gate,  shortly  after 
12  o’clock,  and  found  it  shut.  It  was  Friday,  the  Mu- 
hammedan  Sabbath ;  on  which  day  the  gates  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  are  closed  for  an  hour  at  noon,  as  the  principal 
season  of  Muhammedan  prayer.  Passing  around  the 
city  on  the  West,  we  spent  the  hour  in  wander¬ 
ing  over  Mount  Zion.  We  looked  here  also  for  traces 
of  the  ancient  wall  along  the  western  and  southern 
brow ;  followed  out  the  aqueduct  from  Solomon’s 
Pools,  which  winds  around  the  S.  E.  slope;  and  then 
returned  up  towards  the  Zion  Gate.  It  was  not  yet 
opened,  and  we  went  to  call  on  the  Sheikh  of  the 
Muslim  Tomb  of  David,  with  whom  Mr.  Lanneau  was 
acquainted.  He  was  out;  but  we  visited  the  room 
over  the  tomb,  where  legendary  tradition  relates  that 
the  Lord’s  Supper  was  instituted.  It  is  a  large  dreary 


Sec.  VI.] 


THE  COENACULUM. 


357 


“  upper  room”  of  stone,  fifty  or  sixty  feet  long  by  some 
thirty  feet  in  width.  At  the  East  end  is  a  small  niche 
in  the  wall,  which  the  Christians  use  at  certain  seasons 
as  an  altar  to  celebrate  mass.  On  the  South  side  is 


a  similar  but  larger  recess,  which  serves  the  Muham- 
medans  as  a  Mihrab  towards  which  to  direct  their 
prayers.1  Thus  the  two  superstitions  stand  here  side 
by  side  in  singular  juxtaposition !  The  pretended 
tomb  itself  no  one  is  permitted  to  enter. 

This  building  was  formerly  a  Christian  church ; 
and  as  such  the  site  at  least  is  of  high  antiquity.  It 
is  apparently  the  same  spot,  and  perhaps  the  same 
building,  referred  to  by  Cyrill  in  the  fourth  century, 
as  the  church  of  the  Apostles,  where  they  were  said 
to  be  assembled  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  This  implies 
that  it  was  then  regarded  as  at  least  older  than  the 
age  of  Constantine.  About  the  same  time  Epiphanius 
speaks  of  it  distinctly  under  the  same  name ;  and 
about  A.  D.  697,  Adamnanus  mentions  it  in  like  man¬ 
ner.  It  was  then  held  to  be  the  Coenaculum,  and  to 
contain  also  the  column  to  which  Christ  was  bound  in 


order  to  be  scourged.2  The  same  column  is  mentioned 
in  the  Jerusalem  Itinerary  (A.  D.  333),  and  by  Jerome 
near  the  close  of  the  same  century.  The  latter  writer 
describes  this  column  in  his  day  as  sustaining  the 
portico  of  a  church  on  Mount  Zion,  and  as  still  stained 
with  the  Saviour’s  blood ;  but  neither  he  nor  any  of 
the  earlier  writers  speak  of  any  tradition  relating  to 
the  Lord’s  Supper.3  Writers  of  the  times  of  the  cru- 


1)  As  the  Muhammedans  al¬ 
ways  turn  their  faces  towards 
Mecca  during  their  prayers  and 
prostrations,  every  mosk  has  a 
niche  in  the  wall  to  show  the  pro¬ 
per  direction.  This  niche  is  the 
Mihrab;  and  the  place  or  direction 
towards  which  the  face  is  turned, 
is  the  Kibleh.  Mecca  lies  nearly 
south  of  Syria ;  and  hence  the 
word  Kibleh  is  also  in  common  use 


among  the  Syrian  Arabs  to  denote 
the  South. 

2)  Cyrill.  Cat.  XVI.  2,  p.  225. 
Oxon.  1703.  Epiphan.  de  Mensur. 
et  Pond.  no.  14.  Comp,  le  Quien 
Oriens  Christ.  III.  p.  105. — Adam- 
nan.  ex  Arculfo,  I.  13.  St.  Willi¬ 
bald,  A.  D.  765,  calls  it  the  Church 
of  Zion;  Hodoepor.  18. 

3)  Epitaph.  Paulae,  ad  Eustoch. 


358 


JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


sades  often  allude  to  this  church  as  the  Church  of 
Zion ;  and  regard  it  as  the  place  where  the  protomartyr 
Stephen  was  buried.1  According  to  Sir  J.  Maunde- 
ville  and  also  R.  de  Suchem,  it  would  seem  to  have 
been  still  in  the  hands  of  the  Latins  late  as  about 
A.  D.  1350 ;  and  at  that  time  it  was  one  of  the  many 
churches  which  tradition  began  to  ascribe  to  the 
empress  Helena.2  More  than  a  century  later,  A.  D. 
1479,  Tucher  of  Nurnberg  found  the  building  converted 
into  a  mosk,  or  at  least  the  lower  part  of  it,  and  already 
containing  the  tombs  of  David,  Solomon,  and  other 
kings. — The  adjacent  buildings  were  formerly  a  con¬ 
vent  of  the  Minorites  or  Franciscans,  who  retained 
possession  of  them  for  a  century  or  more  after  the 
church  had  been  partially  at  least  wrested  from  their 
hands.3  In  these  buildings  Ibrahim  Pasha  resides 
when  he  visits  Jerusalem. 

Further  North,  nearer  to  the  gate,  stands  an  Ar¬ 
menian  convent,  enclosing  a  small  church,  which 
according  to  a  similar  tradition  marks  the  spot  where 
once  stood  the  house  of  Caiphas.  We  entered  and 
were  conducted  through  it.  Here  the  Armenian  Pa¬ 
triarchs  of  Jerusalem  lie  buried ;  their  monuments  are 


1)  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  5.  Jac.  de 
Vitr.  Hist.  Hieros.  61.  Phocas  de 
Locis  Sanct.  14. 

2)  First  mentioned  as  one  of 
Helena’s  churches  by  Nicephorus 
Callistus,  VIII.  30  ;  a  writer  of  the 
fourteenth  century. 

3)  Adrichomius  Theatr.  Terrae 
Sanct.  p.  150.  Guaresmius  Terrae 
Sanct.  Elucid.  II.  pp.  51,  122.  It  ap¬ 
pears  that  the  Franciscans  or  Mi¬ 
norites  had  their  chief  seat  here 
from  A.  D.  1313  to  A.  D.  1561. 
They  were  then  driven  out  by  the 
Muhammedans;  and  having  pur¬ 
chased  the  present  Latin  convent 
of  St.  Salvator  in  the  city,  which 
had  formerly  belonged  to  the 
Georgian  Greeks,  they  removed  to 


it.  Guaresmius,  1.  c.  Comp.  Wad¬ 
ding.  Annal.  Minor.  Ed.  2.  III.  p. 
485,  seq.  Belon  about  1547  lodged 
in  their  convent  on  Zion,  and 
speaks  of  it  as  the  only  Latin  con¬ 
vent  ;  Observations,  etc.  Paris 
1588.  p.  313 ;  also  in  Paulus’  Samm- 
lung,  Th.  I.  p.  259.  So  Baumgar- 
ten  in  1512,  lib.  II.  5;  and  other 
travellers.  Belon  likewise  re¬ 
marks,  that  the  monks  had  in  his 
day  regained  possession  of  the 
Coenaculum;  1.  c.  p.  315. — This 
convent  was  erected  for  the  Fran¬ 
ciscans  by  Sancia,  queen  of  Robert 
of  Sicily  ;  who  also  repaired  or  re¬ 
built  the  Coenaculum;  see  Gua- 
resmius,  1.  c.  p.  122,  and  Tom.  I. 
p.  176.  Wadding,  1.  c. 


Sec.  VI.] 


HOUSE  OF  CAIPHAS.  LEPERS. 


359 


in  the  small  court.  Under  the  altar  of  the  church 
they  still  profess  to  show  the  stone  which  closed  the 
Holy  Sepulchre.  They  point  out  also  what  they  call 
the  prison  of  our  Lord ;  as  well  as  the  spot  where 
Peter  denied  his  Master,  and  the  court  where  the  cock 
crew.  This  church  cannot  well  he  very  ancient;1 
nor  have  I  been  able  to  find  any  mention  of  it  before 
the  fourteentli  century.  It  was  then  called,  as  now, 
the  Church  of  St.  Salvator,  and  was  already  ascribed 
to  Helena.2  The  Armenians  appear  to  have  had  it  in 
possession  very  early  after  the  crusades.3 

We  reached  the  Zion  Gate  just  as  it  was  opened 
at  one  o’clock.  Within  the  gate,  a  little  towards  the 
right,  are  some  miserable  hovels,  inhabited  by  persons 
called  leprous.  Whether  their  disease  is  or  is  not  the 
leprosy  of  Scripture,  I  am  unable  to  affirm;  the  symp¬ 
toms  described  to  us  were  similar  to  those  of  elephan¬ 
tiasis.  At  any  rate  they  are  pitiable  objects,  and 
miserable  outcasts  from  society.  They  all  live  here  to¬ 
gether,  and  intermarry  only  with  each  other.  The 
children  are  said  to  be  healthy  until  the  age  of  puberty 
or  later  ;  when  the  disease  makes  its  appearance  in  a 
finger,  on  the  nose,  or  in  some  like  part  of  the  body, 
and  gradually  increases  so  long  as  the  victim  survives. 
They  were  said  often  to  live  to  the  age  of  forty  or  fifty 
years. 

Our  way  home  led  us  through  the  Jews’  quarter; 
and  we  looked  in  for  a  moment  upon  their  prepara- 


1)  Benjamin  of  Tudela  says, 
that  in  his  day,  soon  after  A.  D. 
1160,  there  was  no  building  on 
Zion  save  one  Christian  church, 
doubtless  the  Coenaculum ;  I.  p. 
93.  ed.  Baratier. 

2)  Marin.  Sanut.  Seer,  fidel. 

Crucis,  Ill.  14.  8.  Rudolph  de  Su- 
chem  in  Reissb.  p.  844.  Niceph. 
Call.  VIII.  30. — The  Jerusalem 


Itinerary,  (A.  D.  333,)  speaks  of 
the  house  of  Caiphas  as  having 
stood  on  Mount  Zion,  “  ubi  fuit 
domus  Caiphae  but  says  nothing 
of  any  building  then  existing. 
Comp.  Cyrill.  Cat.  XIII.  19. 

3)  Tucher  of  Niirnberg  found 
it  in  their  hands  in  A.  D.  1479. 
See  Reissb.  des  heil.  Landes,  p. 
659. 


360  JERUSALEM.— FIRST  IMPRESSIONS.  [Sec.  VI. 

tions  for  building  a  new  synagogue.  In  digging  for 
its  foundations  they  had  uncovered  several  small 
houses  and  rooms,  which  had  before  been  completely 
buried  beneath  the  accumulated  rubbish.  These  pre¬ 
sented  nothing  of  interest.  It  was  also  reported,  that 
they  had  found  pieces  of  marble,  and  even  columns ; 
hut  we  were  able  to  learn  nothing  definite  on  the  sub¬ 
ject. 

EL-HARAM.  TOWER  OF  DAVID. 

We  made  no  attempt  to  obtain  admission  to  the 
Haram  esh-Sherif,  or  great  mosk.  This  has  been 
visited  and  described  by  others,  and  did  not  form  in 
itself  any  part  of  the  object  of  our  journey.  Could 
there  have  been  a  hope  of  penetrating  into  the  vaults 
and  subterranean  passages  which  are  known  to  exist 
beneath  its  area,  so  as  to  explore  them,  we  would  have 
spared  no  effort  to  have  obtained  the  requisite  permis¬ 
sion.  But  as  it  was,  we  thought  it  more  prudent  to 
pursue  our  researches  in  silence,  rather  than  by  ill- 
timed  or  ill-advised  application  to  the  authorities,  to 
run  the  risk  of  exciting  on  their  part  suspicion  or 
jealousy.  We  found  no  difficulty  at  any  time  in  ap¬ 
proaching  the  entrances,  and  looking  in  upon  the  area, 
as  long  as  we  pleased. 

Wishing  however  to  obtain  a  better  view  of  the 
Haram,  and  also  to  visit  the  citadel  near  the  Yafa 
Gate,  Mr.  Smith  with  our  friends  waited  on  the  Kaim 
Makam,  the  military  commander  of  the  city,  to  ob¬ 
tain  an  order  for  this  purpose.  This  officer  received 
them  with  great  courtesy ;  immediately  granted  their 
request ;  and  even  sent  his  secretary  to  accompany 
them  and  introduce  them  at  each  place.  They  now 
came  back  for  me  ;  and  we  went  first  to  the  building 
on  the  N.  W.  corner  of  the  area  of  the  Haram.  This 


Sec.  VI.] 


THE  GREAT  MOSK. 


361 


was  formerly  the  residence  of  the  Governor;  and 
stands  near  the  site  of  the  ancient  fortress  Antonia. 
It  is  now  used  as  barracks.  From  the  flat  roof  there 
is  a  full  view  of  the  mosk  and  its  court,  a  large  and 
beautiful  area,  with  trees  scattered  over  it,  and  sev¬ 
eral  fountains  ;  the  whole  forming  a  fine  promenade. 
We  saw  there  quite  a  number  of  females,  and  many 
children  playing. 

The  great  mosk  itself,  Kubbct  es-Sukhrah:  11  Dome 
of  the  Rock,”  is  an  octagonal  building  with  a  noble 
dome,  standing  upon  a  platform  near  the  middle  of 
the  court,  elevated  by  several  steps  above  the  general 
level.  Quite  on  the  southern  side  of  the  area,  stands 
another  large  mosk,  el-Jami’a  el-Aksa ;  and  there  are 
other  smaller  mosks  and  buildings  adjacent  to  the 
walls  in  other  parts.  The  whole  enclosure,  with  all  its 
sacred  buildings  and  appurtenances,  is  called  el-Haram , 
“  the  Holy,”  and  also  el-Haram  esh- Sheriff  u  the  noble 
Sanctuary.”  In  the  northern  part  of  the  area,  the 
rocky  surface  is  visible,  which  has  evidently  been 
levelled  off  by  art.  The  height  of  the  wall  around 
the  court  on  the  inside  we  judged  to  be  from  twelve  to 
sixteen  feet. — Towards  the  West  the  houses  of  the 
city  rise  steeply  one  above  another,  and  the  two  hills 
of  Zion  and  Akra  are  distinctly  marked.1 

We  now'  repaired  to  the  castle  or  citadel,  and 
were  taken  through  its  various  parts;  but  our  atten¬ 
tion  was  confined  chiefly  to  the  one  old  tower,  appa¬ 
rently  ancient,  which  is  usually  called  by  the  Franks 
the  Tower  of  David.  This  we  measured;  and  it  will 
be  described  in  another  place.  From  its  top  there  is 
an  extensive  view,  especially  towards  the  S.  E.  where 
a  small  portion  of  the  Dead  Sea  is  visible,  and  be¬ 
yond  it  the  mountains  of  Arabia.  As  we  looked  down 


1)  The  spot  where  we  stood  is  for  the  noble  Panorama  of  Jerusa- 
the  same  from  which  the  drawings  lem  by  Catherwood  were  taken. 

Vol.  I.  46 


362 


JERUSALEM.— INCIDENTS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


upon  and  over  the  city  itself,  it  seemed  almost  like  a 
plain ;  the  appearance  of  descent  being*  in  a  great 
measure  lost.1 

Both  here  and  at  the  barracks,  the  deportment  of 
the  officers  and  soldiers  we  encountered,  was  extreme¬ 
ly  civil.  The  secretary  who  attended  us  was  an  in¬ 
telligent  man;  and  when  we  parted,  he  politely  de¬ 
clined  the  bakhshish  we  proffered  him.  This  was,  I 
think,  the  only  instance  of  the  kind  in  all  our  journey. 


In  our  walks  through  the  city  and  its  environs,  we 
were  struck  with  the  comparatively  few  people  we 
met,  and  the  indifference  with  which  they  seemed  to 
regard  us  and  our  movements.  In  the  city  itself,  the 
bazars  were  usually  thronged ;  so  that  it  was  some¬ 
times  difficult  to  make  one’s  way  through  them.  In 
the  larger  streets  also,  such  as  that  leading  down  from 
the  Yafa  Gate  to  the  great  mosk,  and  those  between 
the  bazars  and  the  Damascus  Gate,  there  were  com¬ 
monly  many  persons  passing  to  and  fro ;  but  all  the 
other  streets  were  comparatively  solitary.  Outside 
of  the  city,  a  few  peasants  with  their  asses  wending 
their  way  to  or  from  the  gates ;  a  few  shepherds 
watching  their  flocks  on  the  side  of  Mount  Olivet ;  a 
few  women  with  their  water-skins  around  the  foun¬ 
tains  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  occasionally 
Muslim  females  veiled  in  white  sitting  or  strolling 
among  the  tombs  of  their  people ; — these  were  ordi¬ 
narily  the  only  .signs  of  life  and  activity  which  the 
stranger  could  perceive,  as  he  wandered  around  this 
former  “city  of  the  great  King.”  Yet  sometimes  we 
lighted  upon  more  stirring  scenes.  One  day  as  we 

1)  We  were  not  so  fortunate  as  Horeb  in  the  South,  and  Mount 
Stephan  Schulz;  who  professes  to  Tabor  in  the  North  !  Leitungen 
have  seen  from  this  tower  Mount  des  Hochsten,  etc.  Th.  V.  p.  161. 


Sec.  VI.]  INTERCOURSE  WITH  THE  NATIVES.  363 

were  standing  near  the  large  terebinth  at  the  N.  W. 
corner  of  the  city- wall,  the  Mutesellim  or  governor 
with  a  party  of  ten  or  twelve  horsemen  passed  by,  on 
their  return  from  a  ride  and  from  practising  the  Jerid. 
They  were  all  gaily  caparisoned,  and  rode  in  fine  style; 
their  horses  prancing  and  now  and  then  darting  off  at 
full  speed  along  the  rocky  road.  At  another  time 
the  dead  monotony  was  broken  in  upon,  by  the  de¬ 
parture  of  a  large  body  of  troops  for  Ramleh. 

We  took  measurements  within  and  without  the 
city  in  all  directions,  without  interruption,  and  with¬ 
out  being  subjected  to  the  slightest  inquiry  or  token 
of  suspicion.  Indeed,  the  indifference  with  which 
these  operations  were  apparently  regarded,  was  rather 
a  matter  of  surprise.  A  few  persons  only  occasionally 
stopped  to  look  at  us,  and  then  passed  on ;  and  I  am 
persuaded  that  neither  in  London  nor  New- York  could 
any  thing  similar  be  undertaken,  without  exciting  far 
more  attention,  and  probably  drawing  together  a 
crowd  of  idlers.  We  just  pursued  our  own  course; 
went  where  we  would,  and  undertook  what  we 
pleased;  asked  no  leave  of  the  government  or  others, 
whenever  it  could  be  avoided ;  and  thus  encountered 
no  opposition.  In  the  one  instance  where  we  had 
occasion  to  ask  a  favour  of  the  Kaim  Makam  or  mili¬ 
tary  commander,  it  was  courteously  granted ;  in  an¬ 
other  instance,  the  Mufti  declined  to  concede  what  he 
previously  had  expressed  a  willingness  to  have  take 
place. 

With  the  native  population  of  the  city,  we  had, 
through  our  friends,  the  opportunity  of  frequent  inter¬ 
course,  to  any  extent  we  might  desire.  The  house  of 
Mr.  Lanneau,  in  which  we  resided,  was  situated  in 
the  Muhammedan  quarter,  next  door  to  that  of  the 
Mufti  of  Jerusalem  ;  and  the  circumstance  of  his 
having  taken  a  house  in  their  quarter  and  among 


364 


JERUSALEM.— INCIDENTS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


them,  was  looked  upon  with  favour  by  the  Muslims. 
His  neighbours,  some  of  the  chief  men  of  the  city,  were 
in  the  habit  of  making  frequent  calls;  and  an  inter¬ 
change  of  friendly  courtesies  was  sedulously  main¬ 
tained.  A  native  Greek  merchant,  Abu  Selameh, 
who  was  seeking  the  appointment  of  agent  from  the 
American  consul  at  Beirut,  was  very  attentive;  and 
through  him  and  the  chief  physician  or  apothecary  of 
the  garrison,  we  received  all  the  intelligence  and  cur¬ 
rent  reports  of  the  day. 

The  Mutesellim  or  governor  of  the  city  at  this 
time,  was  Sheikh  Mustafa,  a  young  man  of  a  fine 
figure  and  prepossessing  countenance,  the  son  of  Sheikh 
Sa’id,  governor  of  Gaza.  He  was  said  however  to  be 
prejudiced  against  the  Franks  ;  and  to  be  in  the  habit 
of  turning  an  ungracious  ear  to  all  their  applications. 
We  had  no  occasion  to  apply  to  him  while  in  Jerusa¬ 
lem  ;  except  once,  as  a  matter  of  policy,  to  send  our 
Firman  for  his  inspection  before  setting  off  for  the 
Dead  Sea;  but  we  afterwards  met  him  in  Hebron  and 
were  .struck  with  his  graceful  deportment.  The  Kaim 
Makam,  or  military  governor,  was  regarded  as  more 
frank  and  courteous  ;  and  our  friends  were  in  the  habit 
of  applying  to  him,  when  necessary,  rather  than  to 
Sheikh  Mustafa. 

Our  neighbour  the  Mufti  called  one  morning  soon 
after  breakfast,  and  sat  with  us  for  an  hour.  This 
dignitary  is  in  high  repute  among  the  Mussulmans  ; 
being  subordinate  in  rank  only  to  the  Muftis  of  Mecca 
and  Constantinople.  He  was  a  fine  looking  man  be¬ 
tween  sixty  and  seventy  years  of  age,  with  a  long 
white  beard  neatly  trimmed,  intelligent  eyes,  and 
great  vivacity  for  a  Muhammedan.  He  declined  the 
proffered  pipe,  assuring  us  that  he  never  smoked.  He 
was  near-sighted,  and  had  an  ordinary  eye-glass ;  but 
my  spectacles,  and  especially  those  of  Mr.  Homes,  de- 


Sec.  VI.] 


THE  MUFTI. 


365 


lighted  him  greatly.  He  was  prompt  in  offering  us 
all  the  facilities  we  might  need  in  prosecuting  our  re¬ 
searches  ;  and  so  far  as  his  own  personal  feelings  were 
concerned,  this  offer  was  perhaps  sincere.  The  flat 
roof  of  Mr.  Lanneau’s  house  was  separated  from  his 
premises  only  by  a  low  parapet;  and  some  of  our 
friends  having  casually  looked  over  it  into  his  court, 
he  had  sent  a  civil  message  to  request  that  this  might 
not  be  done  any  more.  One  object  of  his  present  visit, 
was  to  apologize,  or  rather  to  explain  the  reason,  for 
sending  such  a  message. 

Another  day  we  had  a  similar  call  from  Abu 
Ghush,  the  former  governor  of  Jerusalem,  noted  as  one 
of  the  Sheikhs  of  the  village  Kuryet  el-’Enab  on  the 
way  to  Yafa,  where  some  years  ago  travellers  were 
often  robbed.  He  is  now  old,  with  a  keen  robber’s  eye, 
and  an  intelligent  face.  This  is  a  family-name ;  and 
there  are  several  brothers  Abu  Ghush.  An  older  one, 
Ibrahim,  was  the  most  notorious  as  a  robber ;  but  he 
was  said  not  now  to  be  acknowledged  as  the  head  of 
the  family. 

Before  we  left  Cairo,  intelligence  had  been  re¬ 
ceived  there  of  the  insurrection  of  the  Druzes  in 
Hauran ;  and  as  they  were  known  to  be  a  brave 
and  injured  people,  fears  were  entertained  (and  not 
unjustly)  that  a  protracted  war  might  follow,  the  end 
of  which  no  one  could  foresee.  The  occasion  of  the 
insurrection  was  understood  to  be,  the  attempts  of  the 
Egyptian  government  to  seize  upon  their  young  men 
by  force,  as  recruits  for  the  army.  This  kind  of  op¬ 
pression  had  been  already  introduced  into  other  parts 
of  Syria,  although  not  with  the  same  success  as  in 
Egypt ;  but  the  comparatively  free  and  high-spirited 
Druzes  could  not  brook  it.  War  ensued.  The  Dru¬ 
zes  fought  with  desperation  ;  and  were  killed  outright 
whenever  taken.  Their  country  was  overrun  and 


366 


JERUSALEM.— INCIDENTS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


wasted  ;  their  villages  burned  with  fire  ;  their  wives 
and  children  sold  as  slaves  in  the  markets  of  Damas¬ 
cus.  The  survivors  withdrew  to  the  rocks  and  fast¬ 
nesses  of  el-Lejah;  for  a. time  there  would  be  a  calm, 
and  then  the  war  hurst  forth  again  with  redoubled 
fury.  After  continuing  for  more  than  a  year,  the  war 
appears  to  have  been  finally  terminated  by  the  con¬ 
cession,  on  the  part  of  the  government,  of  all  that  for 
which  the  Druzes  had  at  first  taken  up  arms ;  a  con¬ 
cession  extorted  perhaps  by  the  indications  of  an 
approaching  war  with  Turkey. 

During  our  journey  through  the  deserts  South  of 
Palestine,  we  of  course  heard  little  of  this  war.  The 
Bedawin  knew  that  it  had  broken  out ;  but  they  had 
no  definite  information  respecting  it;  and  the  scene  of 
conflict  was  too  remote  to  affect  them  directly,  or 
awaken  an  interest  in  their  bosoms.  When  we  ar¬ 
rived  at  Jerusalem,  the  first  throes  of  the  struggle 
were  not  yet  over ;  and  the  minds  of  men  were  in 
uncertainty.  For  some  time  no  definite  intelligence 
had  been  received  from  the  seat  of  war  ;  and  the  city 
was  full  of  rumours.  No  one  knew  where  Ibrahim 
Pasha  was  ;  and  it  was  even  said  that  a  large  body 
of  his  troops  had  been  defeated,  and  another  party  of 
several  hundreds  wholly  cut  off.  In  this  state  of 
things,  the  unquiet  spirits  of  the  land,  who  under  the 
strong  arm  of  Egyptian  rule  had  become  quiet  and 
peaceable  citizens,  began  to  rouse  themselves,  and 
desired  again  to  taste  the  sweets  of  anarchy  and  law¬ 
less  depredation.  Several  robberies  and  murders 
were  committed  in  the  vicinity  of  Jerusalem ;  one  of 
which  has  been  already  alluded  to.1  In  another  in¬ 
stance  a  pilgrim  was  shot,  robbed,  and  left  wounded 
on  the  road  to  Yafa.  He  was  brought  to  the  city, 
and  some  of  our  friends  saw  him  lying  helpless  and 

1)  See  above,  p.  323. 


Sec.  VL] 


WAR  WITH  THE  DRUZES. 


367 


apparently  dying,  in  the  open  court  of  the  Greek  con¬ 
vent,  waiting  until  the  authorities  of  the  city  or  the  con¬ 
vent  should  make  some  provision  for  his  need.  Reports 
of  other  robberies  were  very  frequent ;  hut  were  evi¬ 
dently  much  exaggerated,  if  not  wholly  groundless. 

Under  these  circumstances,  the  prospect  before  us 
was  dreary  ;  and  it  was  for  a  time  doubtful,  whether 
we  should  be  able  to  travel  at  all  in  the  country,  with¬ 
out  (or  even  with)  an  armed  guard.  Were  the  Druzes 
able  to  maintain  themselves  and  make  head  against 
the  Pasha’s  troops,  then  all  the  roads  in  Palestine 
would  become  unsafe ;  for  however  well  affected  the 
better  portion  of  the  people  might  be,  still  this  would 
not  keep  in  check  the  bands  of  lawless  adventurers, 
who  were  only  waiting  for  an  opportunity  to  prowl 
over  the  country.  Many  days  however  had  not  elapsed, 
before  the  certain  news  arrived  that  Ibrahim  was  at 
Damascus,  where  he  had  concentrated  his  troops;  and 
that  he  had  totally  defeated  the  Druzes.  After  this 
all  wTas  again  quiet;  the  reports  of  robbery  and  mur¬ 
der  were  no  longer  heard  ;  and  we  subsequently  trav¬ 
elled  through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land  with¬ 
out  fear  or  interruption ;  indeed,  with  the  same  feeling 
of  security  as  in  England  or  our  native  country.  It 
was  not  until  two  months  later,  that  a  fresh  outbreak 
of  the  insurrection  in  the  region  of  Jebel  esh-Sheikh, 
hindered  us  from  approaching  Damascus. 

As  if  we  were  to  have  a  specimen  of  all  the  evils 
to  which  the  oriental  world  is  exposed,  a  few  days 
after  our  arrival  in  the  Holy  City,  rumours  of  the 
plague  began  to  be  circulated.  It  had  broken  out 
with  violence  in  Alexandria ;  and  in  consequence  a 
strict  quarantine  had  been  established  at  Yafa.  Yet 
on  Sunday,  April  22d,  the  report  came  that  the  plague 
had  made  its  appearance  in  Yafa  also;  supposed  to 
have  been  introduced  by  pilgrims  from  the  southern 


368 


JERUSALEM.— INCIDENTS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


coast  of  Asia  Minor.  Some  of  these  pilgrims  were 
known  to  have  come  up  to  Jerusalem;  and  now  the 
inhabitants  were  tormented  day  by  day,  with  various 
rumours  of  its  existence  both  at  Yafa  and  among  them¬ 
selves.  At  first  many  doubted ;  hut  several  fearful 
cases  at  Yafa,  in  the  families  of  some  of  the  Frank 
consuls,  speedily  put  the  question  beyond  doubt  in 
respect  to  that  place.  In  Jerusalem  there  were  for 
some  days  no  very  decided  cases.  Deaths  indeed 
occurred,  which  were  ascribed  to  the  plague ;  hut  no 
one  pronounced  authoritatively  upon  them.  Yet  all 
were  in  fear  and  upon  their  guard;  several  houses 
were  barricadoed  by  the  police ;  many  families  and 
some  of  the  convents  put  themselves  in  quarantine  ; 
and  all  took  care,  in  passing  to  and  fro  along  the 
streets,  not  to  come  in  contact  with  any  other  person. 
At  length,  after  a  few  days,  the  plague  developed  itself 
decidedly ;  all  doubt  was  at  an  end ;  and  the  disease 
continued  to  extend  its  ravages  on  every  side  continu¬ 
ally,  though  mildly. 

This  was  a  state  of  things  such  as  I  had  never  an¬ 
ticipated,  and  which  I  shall  never  forget.  Men’s  lives 
seemed  to  hang  in  doubt  before  them.  No  one  knew 
what  to  do  or  whither  to  turn  himself.  All  who  could, 
hurried  away  from  the  city ;  for  they  feared  that  accord¬ 
ing  to  despotic  custom  Jerusalem  would  be  shut  up 
and  a  cordon  of  troops  drawn  around  it,  in  order  to 
prevent  the  plague  from  spreading  among  the  villages 
of  the  country.  Nor  was  this  fear  groundless.  All 
business  was  at  a  stand.  The  merchants  from  Damas¬ 
cus  and  other  places  left  the  city.  The  Missionaries 
broke  off  their  sittings,  and  those  from  abroad  hastened 
to  depart  with  their  families.  They  left  on  the  30th 
of  April.  Several  Frank  travellers  also  hurried  away; 
and  some  who  were  upon  the  road  from  Beirut  to  Jeru¬ 
salem,  turned  back  at  Nabulus. 


Sec.  VI.] 


THE  PLAGUE. 


369 


Meanwhile  we  continued  our  investigations  with¬ 
out  interruption,  taking  care  to  come  in  contact  with 
no  one  as  we  passed  along  the  streets ;  and  a  kind 
Providence  preserved  us  from  the  dangers  by  which 
we  were  surrounded.  On  the  18th  of  May  the  city 
was  actually  shut  up,  and  no  one  permitted  to  go  out. 
We  had  left  it  the  day  before  on  a  long  excursion  to 
Gaza,  Hebron  and  Wady  Musa;  and  although  we 
afterwards  returned  to  its  gates,  yet  we  did  not  enter 
them  again.  The  city  remained  shut  up  until  the 
beginning  of  July. 

Indeed,  during  our  whole  journey  in  the  East,  al¬ 
though  surrounded  by  war,  pestilence,  and  quarantines, 
we  were  enabled  to  pass  through  them  all  without 
harm  or  hindrance ;  without  being  detained  from  these 
causes  even  for  an  hour. 

Not  all  travellers,  however,  were  thus  favoured.  On 
the  2d  of  May  I  met  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Nicolayson 
an  English  gentleman,  the  chaplain  of  a  ship  of  war, 
who  left  Cairo  just  one  week  after  ourselves,  and  had 
come  by  the  most  direct  route  to  Jerusalem.  He  had 
descended  the  Nile  to  Damietta,  where  he  was  detain¬ 
ed  seventeen  days  waiting  for  a  vessel  for  Yafa.  In 
this  latter  place  he  had  performed  a  quarantine  of  fif¬ 
teen  days;  and  then  five  more  on  his  arrival  in  Jeru¬ 
salem.  These  last  had  ended  only  on  the  preceding 
day.  Thus  of  the  forty-three  days  which  had  elapsed 
since  his  departure  from  Cairo,  six  had  been  spent  in 
travelling,  and  thirty-seven  in  quarantines  and  delay ! 
Yet  he  was  not  disheartened;  and  actually  left  Jeru¬ 
salem  the  very  next  day  for  Beirut.  It  may  also  be 
mentioned,  as  showing  the  security  of  the  roads  at  the 
time,  that  without  knowing  a  word  of  Arabic,  he  set  off 
alone  with  a  single  muleteer  on  this  long  journey ;  and 
reached  Beirut  without  any  other  difficulties,  than  those 
which  are  of  course  incident  to  such  a  mode  of  travel. 

Vol.  I.  47 


370 


JERUSALEM. — INCIDENTS. 


[Sec.  VI. 


Not  long  afterwards,  Duke  Maximilian  of  Bavaria 
arrived  at  Jerusalem  with  a  somewhat  numerous  suite; 
and  left  it  again,  as  we  understood,  about  the  same 
time  we  did,  just  before  the  city  was  shut  up.  He 
was  less  fortunate  or  less  cautious  than  we  were, 
in  respect  to  the  plague ;  for  after  he  had  left  the  city 
this  terrible  scourge  broke  out  among  his  attendants. 
His  physician  died  of  it  at  Nazareth ;  and  another 
attendant,  a  mulatto,  was  left  ill  in  the  Lazaretto  at 
Sidon,  where  he  lingered  for  several  weeks  and  died. 

Among  other  travellers  who  left  the  Holy  City, 
was  M.  de  Bertou,  a  Frenchman,  who  had  just  returned 
from  an  excursion  to  Wady  Musa  and  ’Akabah  by  way 
of  the  Dead  Sea  and  Wady  el-’Arabah.  We  had 
hoped  to  have  been  the  first  to  explore  the  northern 
part  of  this  great  Wady;  but  were  not  the  less  grati¬ 
fied  to  learn  from  him  the  results  of  his  journey.  He 
spent  the  evening  of  April  30th  with  us ;  and  thought 
he  had  found  the  name  of  Kadesh ,  at  a  place  not  far 
from  the  junction  of  the  roads  from  Hebron  and  Gaza 
to  Wady  Musa;  and  also  that  of  Zoar  on  the  western 
side  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Both  of  these  suppositions 
we  afterwards  found,  by  inquiry  on  the  spot,  to  be 
erroneous. 


SECTION  VII. 


JERUSALEM. 

TOPOGRAPHY  AND  ANTIQUITIES. 

We  enter  here  upon  a  more  [ detailed  description 
of  the  Holy  City,  and  its  remains  of  antiquity.  In 
doing  this,  I  must  request  the  reader  to  hear  in  mind, 
that  for  the  lapse  of  more  than  fifteen  centuries,  Jeru¬ 
salem  has  been  the  abode  not  only  of  mistaken  piety, 
but  also  of  credulous  superstition,  not  unmingled  with 
pious  fraud.  During  the  second  and  third  centuries 
after  the  Christian  era,  the  city  remained  under  heathen 
sway  ;  and  the  Christian  church  existed  there,  if  at 
all,  only  by  sufferance.  But  when,  in  the  beginning 
of  the  fourth  century,  Christianity  became  triumphant 
in  the  person  of  Constantine ;  and  at  his  instigation, 
aided  by  the  presence  and  zeal  of  his  mother  Helena, 
the  first  great  attempt  was  made  in  A.  D.  326,  to  fix 
and  beautify  the  places  connected  with  the  crucifixion 
and  resurrection  of  the  Saviour ;  it  then,  almost  as  a 
matter  of  course,  became  a  passion  among  the  multi¬ 
tudes  of  priests  and  monks,  who  afterwards  resorted 
to  the  Holy  City,  to  trace  out  and  assign  the  site  of 
every  event,  however  trivial  or  legendary,  which  could 
be  brought  into  connection  with  the  Scriptures  or  with 
pious  tradition.  The  fourth  century  appears  to  have 
been  particularly  fruitful  in  the  fixing  of  these  local¬ 
ities,  and  in  the  dressing  out  of  the  traditions  or  rather 


372 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


legends,  which  were  attached  to  them.1 2  But  the  in¬ 
vention  of  succeeding  ages  continued  to  build  upon 
these  foundations  f  until,  in  the  seventh  century,  the 
Muhammedan  conquest  and  subsequent  oppressions 
confined  the  attention  of  the  Church  more  exclusive!  v 

j 

to  the  circumstances  of  her  present  distress  ;  and  drew 
off  in  part  the  minds  of  the  clergy  and  monks  from  the 
contemplation  and  embellishment  of  Scriptural  history. 
Thus  the  fabric  of  tradition  was  left  to  become  fixed 
and  stationary  as  to  its  main  points  ;  in  much  the  same 
condition,  indeed,  in  which  it  has  come  down  to  our 
day.  The  more  fervid  zeal  of  the  ages  of  the  cru¬ 
sades,  only  filled  out  and  completed  the  fabric  in  minor 
particulars.3 

It  must  be  further  borne  in  mind,  that  as  these 
localities  were  assigned,  and  the  traditions  respecting 
them  for  the  most  part  brought  forward,  by  a  credulous 
and  unenlightened  zeal,  well  meant,  indeed,  but  not 
uninterested ;  so  all  the  reports  and  accounts  we  have  of 
the  Holy  City  and  its  sacred  places,  have  come  to  us 
from  the  same  impure  source.  The  fathers  of  the  Church 


1)  The  Itinerariwn  Hierosol. 
A.  DJ333,  mentions  the  palm-tree 
as  still  standing  on  the  side  of 
Mount  Olivet,  from  which  the  peo¬ 
ple  broke  off  branches  to  strew  be¬ 
fore  Jesus.  Cyrill  also  speaks  of 
it  in  the  same  century ;  Cat.  X. 
19.  The  column  to  which  Christ 
was  bound  and  scourged,  was  al¬ 
ready  found ;  but  the  blood  upon 
it  is  first  mentioned  by  Jerome 
nearly  a  century  afterwards.  The 
Coenaculum  connected  with  it  was 
the  work  of  a  still  later  age  ;  as 
we  have  already  had  occasion  to 
remark.  See  p.  357,  above. 

2)  Thus  the  traditions  respect¬ 
ing  the  house  of  Caiaphas,  Geth- 
semane,  and  various  other  sites, 

although  slight  traces  of  them  are 
found  quite  early,  appear  to  have 
been  decked  out  with  new  circum¬ 


stances,  as  centuries  rolled  on.  In 
A.  D.  870  the  monk  Bernard 
speaks  of  a  church  on  the  side  of 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  on  the  spot 
where  the  Pharisees  brought  to 
Jesus  the  woman  taken  in  adultery. 
In  the  church  was  preserved  a 
marble  tablet,  with  the  writing 
which  our  Lord  there  wrote  upon 
the  ground  !  Itinerar.  13,  in  Acta 
Sanctor.  Ord.  Benedict.  Saec.  III. 
Pars  II.  p.  525. 

3)  A  multitude  of  the  minor  le¬ 
gends,  such  as  those  relating  to 
the  place  where  Peter’s  cock  crew, 
the  houses  of  the  Rich  Man  and 
Lazarus,  and  the  like,  were  proba¬ 
bly  the  work  of  more  modern  times. 
Even  the  Via  dolorosa  seems  to 
have  been  first  got  up  during  or 
after  the  times  of  the  crusades  j 
see  above,  p.  344. 


Sec.  VII.] 


ECCLESIASTICAL  TRADITION. 


373 


ill  Palestine,  and  their  imitators  the  monks,  were  them¬ 
selves  for  the  most  part  not  natives  of  the  country. 
They  knew  in  general  little  of  its  topography  ;  and 
were  unacquainted  with  the  Aramaean,  the  vernacular 
language  of  the  common  people.1  They  have  rela  ted 
only  what  was  transmitted  to  them  by  their  prede¬ 
cessors,  also  foreigners ;  or  have  given  opinions  of 
their  own,  adopted  without  critical  inquiry  and  usually 
without  much  knowledge.  The  visitors  of  the  Holy 
Land  in  the  earlier  cen  turies,  as  well  as  the  crusaders, 
all  went  thither  in  the  character  of  pilgrims;  and 
looked  upon  Jerusalem  and  its  environs,  and  upon  the 
land,  only  through  the  medium  of  the  traditions  of  the 
Church.  And  since  the  time  of  the  crusades,  from  the 
fourteenth  century  onwards  to  the  present  day,  all 
travellers,  whether  pilgrims  or  visitors,  have  usually 
taken  up  their  abode  in  Jerusalem  in  the  convents  ; 
and  have  beheld  the  city  only  through  the  eyes  of  their 
monastic  entertainers.  European  visitors,  in  particular, 
have  ever  lodged,  and  still  lodge,  almost  exclusively, 
in  the  Latin  convent ;  and  the  Latin  monks  have  in 
general  been  their  sole  guides. 

In  this  way  and  from  all  these  causes,  there  has 
been  grafted  upon  Jerusalem  and  the  Holy  Land  a  vast 
mass  of  tradition,  foreign  in  its  source  and  doubtful  in 


1)  Though  the  Greek  language 
was  understood  and  spoken  by  the 
inhabitants  in  general,  yet  there 
is  reason  to  believe  that  the  real 
mother-tongue  of  the  common  peo¬ 
ple  was  still  the  Aramaean.  Gri- 
gen  and  Jerome  appear  to  have 
been  the  only  fathers  in  Palestine 
who  understood  Hebrew.  The 
latter,  who  died  in  Palestine  A.  D. 
420,  made  it  a  particular  study,  in 
order  to  translate  the  Bible.  He 
mentions  the  Punic  dialect,  by 
which  he  probably  means  the 
Phoenician,  as  a  spoken  language ; 


Guaest.  ad  Gen.  xxxvi.  24  ad  voce 
d'i'd"'.  See  Gesenius  Script,  et 
Linguae  Phoenic.  Monument  a,  pp. 
331,  337.  In  his  Comm,  in  Esa. 
xix.  18,  Jerome  also  speaks  ex¬ 
pressly  of  a  “  lingua  Cananitide , 
quae  inter  Aegyptiam  et  Iiebraeam, 
media  est  et  Hebraeae  magna  ex 
parte  confirm.”  Various  other 
circumstances  go  also  to  show  the 
long  continuance  of  the  Aramaean 
among  the  common  people.  The 
subject  is  worthy  of  a  more  par¬ 
ticular  investigation  than  has  yet 
been  bestowed  upon  it. 


374  JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY.  [Sec.  VII. 

its  character ;  which  has  flourished  luxuriantly  and 
spread  itself  out  widely  over  the  western  world. 
Palestine,  the  Holy  City,  and  its  sacred  places,  have 
been  again  and  again  pourtrayed  according  to  the 
topography  of  the  monks  ;  and  according  to  them  alone. 
Whether  travellers  were  Catholics  or  Protestants,  has 
made  little  difference.  All  have  drawn  their  informa¬ 
tion  from  the  great  storehouse  of  the  convents ;  and, 
with  few  exceptions,  all  report  it  apparently  with  like 
faith,  though  with  various  fidelity.  In  looking  through 
the  long  series  of  descriptions,  which  have  been  given 
of  Jerusalem  by  the  many  travellers  since  the  four¬ 
teenth  century,  it  is  curious  to  observe,  how  very 
slightly  the  accounts  differ  in  their  topographical  and 
traditional  details.  There  are  indeed  occasional  dis¬ 
crepancies  in  minor  points ;  though  very  few  of  the 
travellers  have  ventured  to  depart  from  the  general 
authority  of  their  monastic  guides.  Or  even  if  they 
sometimes  venture  to  call  in  question  the  value  of  this 
whole  mass  of  tradition ;  yet  they  nevertheless  repeat 
in  like  manner  the  stories  of  the  convents ;  or  at  least 
give  nothing  better  in  their  place.1 

Whoever  has  had  occasion  to  look  into  these  mat¬ 
ters  for  himself,  will  not  be  slow  to  admit,  that  the 
views  here  expressed  are  in  no  degree  overcharged. 
It  follows  from  them, — and  this  is  the  point  to  which 
I  would  particularly  direct  the  reader’s  attention, — • 
that  all  ecclesiastical  tradition  respecting  the  ancient 
places  in  and  around  Jerusalem  and  throughout  Pales¬ 
tine,  is  of  no  value,  except  so  far  as  it  is  supported  by 
circumstances  known  to  us  from  the  Scriptures  or  from 


1)  Even  Maundrell,  shrewd  and 
accurate  as  he  is  elsewhere,  gives 
in  Jerusalem  little  more  than  what 
he  heard  from  the  monks.  Of  other 
travellers,  Rauwolf  was  one  of  the 
most  independent  j  and  the  ac¬ 


counts  of  Cotovicus  (Kootwyk) 
sometimes  vary  from  the  usual 
form.  The  independence  of  Dr. 
Clarke  is  sufficiently  manifest ;  but 
it  led  him  over  into  an  opposite  ex¬ 
treme  of  extravagant  hypothesis. 


Sec.  VII.] 


ECCLESIASTICAL  TRADITION. 


375 


other  cotemporary  testimony.  Thus  one  of  the  very  ear¬ 
liest  traditions  on  record,  that  which  points  out  the  place 
of  our  Lord’s  ascension  on  the  summit  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  and  which  certainly  existed  in  the  third  century, 
long  before  the  visit  of  Helena,  is  obviously  false;  because 
it  stands  in  contradiction  to  the  Scriptural  account, 
which  relates  that  Christ  led  out  his  disciples  “  as  far 
as  to  Bethany,”  and  there  ascended  from  them  into 
heaven.1  On  the  other  hand,  I  would  not  venture  to 
disturb  the  traditional  location  of  Rachel’s  grave  on 
the  way  towards  Bethlehem  ;  for  although  this  is  first 
mentioned  by  the  Itin.  Hieros.  and  by  Jerome  in  the 
fourth  century,  yet  the  Scriptural  narrative  necessa¬ 
rily  limits  the  spot  to  that  vicinity.2 

On  the  same  general  principle,  that  important 
work  the  Onomasticon ,  the  production  of  the  succes¬ 
sive  labours  of  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  which  gives  the 
names  and  describes  the  situation  of  places  in  the  Holy 
Land,  can  be  regarded  in  an  historical  respect,  only  as 
a  record  of  the  traditions  current  in  their  day.  The 
names  thus  preserved  are  of  the  highest  importance ; 
but  the  value  of  the  traditions  connected  with  them, 
must  be  proved  in  the  same  manner  as  all  others; 
although  in  general  they  were  then  far  less  corrupted 
than  in  the  lapse  of  subsequent  centuries. 

The  preceding  remarks  apply  more  particularly  to 
Jerusalem,  and  to  those  parts  of  Palestine  with  which 
the  fathers  of  the  Church  and  the  hosts  of  monks  have 
chiefly  occupied  themselves.  But  there  is  in  Palestine 
another  kind  of  tradition,  with  which  the  monasteries 
have  had  nothing  to  do;  and  of  which  they  have  appa- 


1)  Luke  xxiv.  50, 51.  Compare 
Acts  i.  12,  where  it  is  only  said, 
that  the  disciples  returned,  from 
Mount  Olivet ;  not  that  Christ  as¬ 
cended  from  it. — The  tradition  al¬ 
luded  to  in  the  text  is  mentioned 
by  Eusebius,  Demonstr.  Evang. 


VI.  18.  p.  288.  Col.  Agr.  This  work, 
according  to  Valesius,  was  written 
about  A.  D.  315,  ten  years  or  more 
before  the  visit  of  Helena  to  Pales¬ 
tine.  De  Vit.  et.  Script.  Euseb. 

2)  Gek  xxxv.  16 — 20.  See- 

above,  pp.  322,  323. 


376 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VIL 


rently  in  every  age  known  little  or  nothing.  I  mean, 
the  preservation  of  the  ancient  names  of  places  among 
the  common  people.  This  is  a  truly  national  and  native 
tradition ;  not  derived  in  any  degree  from  the  influ¬ 
ence  of  foreign  convents  or  masters  ;  hut  drawn  in  hy 
the  peasant  with  his  mother’s  milk,  and  deeply  seated 
in  the  genius  of  the  Semitic  languages.  The  Hebrew 
names  of  places  continued  current  in  their  Aramaean 
form  long  after  the  times  of  the  New  Testament ;  and 
maintained  themselves  in  the  mouths  of  the  common 
people,  in  spite  of  the  efforts  made  by  Greeks  and 
Romans  to  supplant  them  by  others  derived  from  their 
own  tongues.1  After  the  Muhammedan  conquest, 
when  the  Aramaean  language  gradually  gave  place  to 
the  kindred  Arabic,  the  proper  names  of  places,  which 
the  Greeks  could  never  bend  to  their  orthography, 
found  here  a  ready  entrance ;  and  have  thus  lived  on 
upon  the  lips  of  the  Arabs,  whether  Christian  or  Mus¬ 
lim,  townsmen  or  Bedawin,  even  unto  our  own  day, 
almost  in  the  same  form  in  which  they  have  also  been* 
transmitted  to  us  in  the  Hebrew  Scriptures.2 

The  nature  of  the  long  series  of  foreign  tradition 
has  sometimes  been  recognised  and  lamented  by  tra¬ 
vellers  and  others ;  while  that  of  the  native  Arab 
population  has  been  for  the  most  part  overlooked,  and 
its  existence  almost  unknown.3  Travellers  have  in 


1)  It  is  sufficient  to  mention 
here  the  sounding  names  Diospo- 
lis,  Nicopolis,  Ptolemais,  and  Anti- 
patris,  which  have  perished  for 
centuries ;  while  the  more  ancient 
ones  which  they  were  intended  to 
supplant,  are  still  current  among 
the  people,  Ludd  (Lydda),  ’Am- 
was  (Emmaus),  ’Akka,  and  Kefr 
Saba.  Yet  a  few  Greek  names 
thus  imposed  have  maintained 
themselves  instead  of  the  ancient 
ones;  as  N&bulus  (Neapolis)  for 
Shechem,  and  Sebustieh  (Sebaste) 
for  Samaria. 


2)  The  Semitic  letter  'Ain  in 
particular,  so  unpronounceable  by 
other  nations,  has  a  remarkable 
tenacity.  Of  the  very  many  He¬ 
brew  names  containing  this  letter, 
that  still  survive  in  Arabic,  our 
lists  exhibit  only  two  or  three  in 
which  it  has  been  dropped ;  and 
perhaps  none  in  which  it  has  been 
exchanged  for  another  letter. 

3)  It  may  perhaps  be  asked, 
whether  there  does  not  exist  a 
Jewish  tradition,  which  would  also 
be  trustworthy  ?  Not  in  respect  to 
Jerusalem  itself ;  for  the  Jews  for 


Sec.  VII.] 


NATIVE  TRADITION. 


Oil 


general  been  ignorant  of  the  Arabic  language,  and  un¬ 
able  to  communicate  with  the  common  people  except 
through  the  medium  of  illiterate  interpreters ;  they 
have  mostly  followed  only  beaten  paths,  where  monk¬ 
ish  tradition  had  already  marked  out  all  the  localities 
they  sought ;  and  in  this  way  few  have  ever  thought 
of  seeking  for  information  among  the  Arab  peasantry. 
Yet  the  example  of  Seetzen  and  Burckhardt  in  the 
countries  East  of  the  Jordan  might  have  pointed  out 
a  better  course ;  and  the  multitude  of  ancient  names 
which  they  found  still  current  in  those  regions,  where 
monastic  influence  had  more  rarely  penetrated,  might 
have  stimulated  to  like  researches  in  western  Pales¬ 
tine.  Yet  this  had  never  been  done;  and  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  this  neglect,  and  of  the  circumstances  al¬ 
luded  to  above,  it  had  become  a  singular,  though  no¬ 
torious  fact,  that  notwithstanding  the  multitude  of 
travellers  who  have  swarmed  through  Palestine,  the 
countries  East  of  the  Jordan  were  in  many  respects 
more  accurately  and  distinctly  known,  than  those 
upon  the  West. 

In  view  of  this  state  of  things,  we  early  adopted 
two  general  principles,  by  which  to  govern  ourselves 
in  our  examination  of  the  Holy  Land.  The  first  was, 
to  avoid  as  far  as  possible  all  contact  with  the  con¬ 
vents  and  the  authority  of  the  monks ;  to  examine 
everywhere  for  ourselves  with  the  Scriptures  in  our 
hands;  and  to  apply  for  information  solely  to  the 
native  Arab  population.  The  second  was,  to  leave  as 
much  as  possible  the  beaten  track,  and  direct  our 
journies  and  researches  to  those  portions  of  the  coun¬ 
try  which  had  been  least  visited.  By  acting  upon 

centuries  could  approach  the  Holy  that  handed  down  among  the  com- 
City  only  to  weep  over  it ;  see  p.  mon  people.  Their  early  written 
350,  above.  In  other  parts  of  Pal-  accounts,  as  is  well  known,  are  not 
estine,  a  regular  Jewish  tradition  less  legendary  than  those  of  the 
could  not  well  be  different  from  Christians. 

Vol.  I.  48 


378 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


these  two  principles,  we  were  able  to  arrive  at  many 
results  that  to  us  were  new  and  unexpected;  and  it 
is  these  results  alone,  which  give  a  value  (if  any  it 
have)  to  the  present  work. 

In  Jerusalem  itself,  circumstances  favoured  our 
determination.  The  presence  of  our  countrymen  and 
friends  enabled  us  to  live  aloof  from  the  convents,  and 
pursue  our  inquiries  with  entire  independence ;  a 
privilege  which  all  travellers  cannot  command.1 
During  the  whole  time  of  our  sojourn  in  the  Holy  City, 
it  so  happened  that  I  never  entered  the  Latin  convent, 
nor  spoke  with  a  monk.  This  neglect  was  not  how¬ 
ever  intentional ;  for  I  several  times  made  an  appoint¬ 
ment  to  visit  the  convent,  and  my  companion  was  there 
repeatedly.  Once  only  we  visited  together  the  great 
convent  of  the  Armenians,  to  call  upon  an  English 
friend  who  was  residing  there  ;  and  we  took  this  op¬ 
portunity  to  look  at  the  richly  decorated,  hut  tawdry 
church  of  St.  James  connected  with  it,  which  former 
travellers  have  sufficiently  described.  Among  the 
Arab  population  our  inquiries  were  frequent  and  mi¬ 
nute  ;  and  they  were  answered  with  kindness  and  often 
with  good  fruit.  Yet,  as  might  have  been  expected, 
we  found  less  of  new  information  among  the  Arabs  in 
the  Holy  City  itself,  than  in  other  parts  of  the  country. 
The  names  of  the  chief  natural  features  in  and  around 
Jerusalem,  have  been  so  long  and  in  general  so  cor¬ 
rectly  fixed,  and  have  become  so  familiar  to  the  Chris¬ 
tian  ear,  that  whether  adopted  by  the  Arabs  or  not,  the 
Christian  traveller  involuntarily  employs  them.  Es¬ 
pecially  is  this  the  case,  where  the  ancient  appellation 
has  been  dropped  by  the  common  people.  Thus,  who 

1)  The  Latin  convent  has  in  gers.  This  is  a  great  convenience 
former  years  erected  a  building,  the  in  such  a  city,  where  inns  are  un- 
Casa  nuova ,  expressly  for  the  en-  known ;  and  most  travellers  are 
tertainment  of  travellers  and  stran-  compelled  to  avail  themselves  of  it. 


Sec.  VIL] 


PLAN  OF  PROCEEDINGS. 


379 


would  abandon  the  hallowed  name  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives,  for  that  of  Jebel  et-Tur  ?  or  Bethany,  for  el- 
’Azariyeh  ]  In  like  manner  the  names  of  the  Vallies 
of  Jehoshaphat  or  the  Kidron  and  of  Hinnom,  have 
become  so  fixed  in  Christian  usage,  that  we  even  for¬ 
got  at  the  time  to  inquire,  whether  the  Arabs  now  give 
them  a  different  appellation.1 

After  these  preliminary  observations,  the  reader 
will  he  prepared  to  judge  for  himself  of  the  following 
description  and  details  of  the  Holy  City  and  its  anti¬ 
quities.  This  account  contains  nothing  hut  what  we 
ourselves  saw,  or  what  we  learned  on  native  authority ; 
and  is  wholly  drawn  out  from  our  notes  written  down 
upon  the  spot  ;2  together  with  such  historical  notices 
as  I  have  been  able  to  collect.  The  convents  and 
churches  and  mosks  have  been  described  time  and 
again  by  other  travellers ;  and  the  traditions  of  the 
church  and  of  the  monks  lie  before  the  Christian 
world  in  hundreds  of  tomes  of  every  size,  from  the 
ponderous  folios  of  Quaresmius  down  to  the  spruce  duo¬ 
decimos  of  the  Modern  Traveller.  We  did  not  parti¬ 
cularly  examine  these  obj  ects  ;  and  therefore  I  do  not 
describe  them. 

In  respect  to  those  points  in  which  the  following 
account  may  seem  to  be  at  variance  with  those  of 
former  travellers,  I  have  only  to  say,  that  we  always 
aimed  at  the  truth  according  to  the  best  of  our  ability ; 
and  the  public  must  judge  of  the  degree  of  credit  due 
to  our  assertions.  To  point  out  discrepancies  and 
refute  the  errors  of  others,  would  be  a  thankless  task ; 
and  therefore,  except  in  a  few  special  cases,  I  leave 
these  matters  to  the  consideration  and  judgment  of 
those  who  are  interested  in  such  researches. 

1)  Since  the  above  remark  was  2)  I  must  here  except  the  noti- 
written,  I  have  ascertained  that  the  ces  kindly  communicated  to  me 
Arabs  employ  the  same  names,  since  my  return  by  Mr.  Cather- 
viz.  Wady  Kidron  or  Yeli6sh&-  wood, 
f&t,  and  Wady  Jehennam. 


380 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


I.  GENERAL  TOPOGRAPHY. 

Jerusalem,  now  called  by  the  Arabs  el~Kuds ,  u  the 
Holy,”  and  also  by  Arabian  writers  Beit  el-Mukdis  or 
Beit  el-Mukaddas ,  “the  Sanctuary,”1  lies  near  the 
summit  of  a  broad  mountain  ridge.  This  ridge  or 
mountainous  tract  extends  without  interruption,  from 
the  plain  of  Esdraelon  to  a  line  drawn  between  the 
South  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the 
Mediterranean ;  or  more  properly,  perhaps,  it  may  be 
regarded  as  extending  as  far  South  as  to  Jebel  ’Araif 
in  the  desert ;  where  it  sinks  down  at  once  to  the  level 
of  the  great  western  plateau.  This  tract,  which  is 
everywhere  not  less  than  from  twenty  to  twenty-five 
geographical  miles  in  breadth,  is  in  fact  high  uneven 
table  land.  It  everywhere  forms  the  precipitous  wes¬ 
tern  wall  of  the  great  valley  of  the  Jordan  and  the 
Dead  Sea;  while  towards  the  West  it  sinks  down  by 
an  offset  into  a  range  of  lower  hills,  which  lie  be¬ 
tween  it  and  the  great  plain  along  the  coast  of  the 
Mediterranean.  The  surface  of  this  upper  region  is 
everywhere  rocky,  uneven,  and  mountainous  ;  and  is 
moreover  cut  up  by  deep  vallies  which  run  East  or 
West  on  either  side  towards  the  Jordan  or  the  Medi¬ 
terranean.  The  line  of  division,  or  water-shed,  be¬ 
tween  the  waters  of  these  vallies, — a  term  which  here 
applies  almost  exclusively  to  the  waters  of  the  rainy 
season, — follows  for  the  most  part  the  height  of  land 
along  the  ridge  ;  yet  not  so  but  that  the  heads  of  the 
vallies  which  run  off  in  different  directions,  often  in¬ 
terlap  for  a  considerable  distance.  Thus,  for  exam¬ 
ple,  a  valley  which  descends  to  the  Jordan  often  has 

1)  Abulfed.  Syr.  ed.  Kohler,  p.  Aurashalim ,  which  is  said  to  be 
9.  Ediisi  ed.  Jaubert  I.  p.  341.  sometimes  used  by  the  native 
Freytag  Lex.  Arab.  III.  p.  408. —  Christians ;  1.  c.  p.  345. 

Edrlsi  also  once  gives  it  the  name 


Sec.  VII.] 


GENERAL  FEATURES. 


381 


its  head  a  mile  or  two  westward  of  the  commencement 
of  other  vallies,  which  run  to  the  western  sea. 

From  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon  onwards  to¬ 
wards  the  South,  the  mountainous  country  rises  grad¬ 
ually,  forming  the  tract  anciently  known  as  the 
mountains  of  Ephraim  and  Judah ;  until  in  the  vicinity 
of  Hebron  it  attains  an  elevation  of  nearly  3,000  Paris 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Fur¬ 
ther  North,  on  a  line  drawn  from  the  North  end  of  the 
Dead  Sea  towards  the  true  West,  the  ridge  has  an 
elevation  of  only  about  2,500  Paris  feet ;  and  here, 
close  upon  the  water-shed,  lies  the  city  of  Jerusalem.1 
Its  mean  geographical  position  is  in  Lat.  31°  46'  43" 
N.  and  Long.  35°  13'  E.  from  Greenwich.2 

Six  or  seven  miles  N.  and  N.  W.  of  the  city  is 
spread  out  the  open  plain  or  basin  round  about  el- Jib 
(Gibeon),  extending  also  towards  el-Bireh  (Beeroth); 
the  waters  of  which  flow  off  at  its  S.  E.  part  through 
the  deep  valley  here  called  by  the  Arabs  Wady  Beit 
Hanina ;  but  to  which  the  monks  and  travellers  have 
usually  given  the  name  of  the  Valley  of  Turpentine, 


1)  According  to  Schubert’s  mea-  The  adjacent  hills  are  two  or  three 
surements,  the  town  of  Hebron  has  hundred  feet  higher. — The  height 
an  elevation  of 2664  feet.  Russeg-  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  according 
ger  gives  the  same  at  2842  feet.  to  Schubert,  is  2555  Paris  feet. 


2)  The  Latitude  here  given  is  the  mean  of  four  observations,  viz. 


Niebuhr 
Seetzen 
Capt.  Corry 
Moore  and  Beke 


31°  46'  34”  Reisebeschr.  Bd.  III.  Anh.  S.  116. 

31  47  47  Zach’s  Monatl.  Corr.  XVIII.  S.  542. 

31  46  46  Comm,  by  Sec.  of  R.  Geogr.  Soc.  Lond. 
31  45  45  Journ.  of  R.  Geogr.  Soc.  Lond.  Vol.  VII. 
-  1837.  p.  456. 

Mean  31°  46'  43”  differing  only  3”  from  Corry,  and  9”  from 

Niebuhr. 

The  middle  one  is  32°  46'  E.  from 
Paris,  or  35°  6'  24”  E.  from  Green¬ 
wich.  See  Zach’s  Monatl.  Corr. 
XVIII.  S.  544.  Berghaus  has  32° 
53'  09'"  E.  Paris  =  35°  13'  33”  E. 
Greenwich;  a  casual  approxima¬ 
tion  deduced  from  a  comparison  of 
Itineraries  from  Yafa.  Memoir  zu 
seiner  Karte  von  Syrien,  pp.  28, 
29. 


The  Longitude  is  that  found  by 
Capt.  Corry  from  a  lunar  observa¬ 
tion  in  1818,  kindly  communicated 
by  the  Sec.  of  the  R.  Geogr.  Soc. 
London.'  This  is  the  only  toler¬ 
able  observation  yet  made  for  the 
Longitude.  Seetzenindeedobserv- 
ed  imperfectly  at  three  different 
times ;  but  his  results  vary  more 
than  a  degree  from  each  other. 


382 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


or  of  the  Terebinth,  on  the  mistaken  supposition  that 
it  is  the  ancient  Valley  of  Elah.1  This  great  valley 
passes  along  in  a  S.  W.  direction  an  hour  or  more 
West  of  Jerusalem;  and  finally  opens  out  from  the 
mountains  into  the  western  plain,  at  the  distance  of 
six  or  eight  hours  S.  W.  from  the  city,  under  the  name 
of  Wady  es-Surar.  The  traveller  on  his  way  from 
Ramleh  to  Jerusalem,  descends  into  and  crosses  this 
deep  valley  at  the  village  of  Kulonieh  on  its  western 
side,  an  hour  and  a  half  from  the  latter  city.  On 
again  reaching  the  high  ground  on  its  eastern  side,  he 
enters  upon  an  open  tract  sloping  gradually  down¬ 
wards  towards  the  East;  and  sees  before  him,  at  the 
distance  of  about  two  miles,  the  walls  and  domes  of 
the  Holy  City,  and  beyond  them  the  higher  ridge  or 
summit  of  the  Mount  of  Olives. 

The  traveller  now  descends  gradually  towards  the 
city  along  a  broad  swell  of  ground,  having  at  some 
distance  on  his  left  the  shallow  northern  part  of  the 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat ;  and  close  at  hand  on  his  right 
the  basin  which  forms  the  beginning  of  the  Valley  of 
Hinnom.  Further  down,  both  these  vallies  become 
deep,  narrow,  and  precipitous ;  that  of  Hinnom  bends 
South  and  again  East  nearly  at  right  angles,  and 
unites  with  the  other;  which  then  continues  its  course 
to  the  Dead  Sea.  Upon  the  broad  and  elevated  pro¬ 
montory  within  the  fork  of  these  two  vallies,  lies  the 
Holy  City.  All  around  are  higher  hills ;  on  the  East, 
the  Mount  of  Olives ;  on  the  South,  the  Hill  of  Evil 
Counsel,  so  called,  rising  directly  from  the  Vale  of 
Hinnom;  on  the  West,  the  ground  rises  gently,  as 
above  described,  to  the  borders  of  the  great  Wady; 
while  on  the  North,  a  bend  of  the  ridge  connected 
with  the  Mount  of  Olives,  bounds  the  prospect  at  the 
distance  of  more  than  a  mile.  Towards  the  S.  W.  the 


1)  1  Sam.  xvii.  2,  19. 


Sec.  VII.] 


SITUATION. 


383 


view  is  somewhat  more  open ;  for  here  lies  the  plain  of 
Rephaim,  already  described/  commencing  just  at  the 
southern  brink  of  the  Valley  of  Hinnom,  and  stretching 
off  S.  W.  where  it  runs  to  the  western  sea.  In  the  N„ 
W.  too  the  eye  reaches  up  along  the  upper  part  of  the 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat;  and,  from  many  points,  can 
discern  the  mosk  of  Neby  Samwil,  situated  on  a  lofty 
ridge  beyond  the  great  Wady,  at  the  distance  of  two 
hours. 

The  surface  of  the  elevated  promontory  itself,  on 
which  the  city  stands,  slopes  somewhat  steeply  to¬ 
wards  the  East,  terminating  on  the  brink  of  the  val¬ 
ley  of  Jehoshaphat.  From  the  northern  part,  near 
the  present  Damascus  Gate,  a  depression  or  shallow 
Wady  runs  in  a  southern  direction,  having  on  the 
West  the  ancient  hills  of  Akra  and  Zion,  and  on  the 
East  the  lower  ones  of  Bezetha  and  Moriah.  Between 
the  hills  of  Akra  and  Zion  another  depression  or  shal¬ 
low  Wady  (still  easy  to  be  traced)  comes  down  from 
near  the  Yafa  Gate,  and  joins  the  former.  It  then 
continues  obliquely  down  the  slope,  but  with  a  deeper 
bed,  in  a  southern  direction  quite  to  the  Pool  of  Siloarn 
and  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  This  is  the  ancient 
Tyropoeon.  West  of  its  lower  part,  Zion  rises  loftily, 
lying  mostly  without  the  modern  city;  while  on  the 
East  of  the  Tyropoeon  and  the  valley  first  mentioned, 
lie  Bezetha,  Moriah,  and  Ophel,  the  last  a  long  and 
comparatively  narrow  ridge  also  outside  of  the  modem 
city,  and  terminating  in  a  rocky  point  over  the  Pool 
of  Siloarn.  These  three  last  hills  may  strictly  be 
taken  as  only  parts  of  one  and  the  same  ridge.  The 
breadth  of  the  whole  site  of  Jerusalem,  from  the  brow 
of  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  near  the  Yafa  Gate  to  the 
brink  of  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  is  about  1020  yards, 
or  nearest  half  a  geographical  mile  ;  of  which  dis- 

1)  See  above,  pp.  323,  324. 


384 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


tance  318  yards  is  occupied  by  the  area  of  the  great 
mosk,  el-Haram  esh-Sherif.  North  of  the  Yafa  Gate 
the  city- wall  sweeps  round  more  to  the  West,  and  in¬ 
creases  the  breadth  of  the  city  in  that  part. 

The  country  around  Jerusalem  is  all  of  limestone 
formation ;  and  not  particularly  fertile.  The  rocks 
everywhere  come  out  above  the  surface,  which  in 
many  parts  is  also  thickly  strewed  with  loose  stones ; 
and  the  aspect  of  the  whole  region  is  barren  and 
dreary.  Yet  the  olive  thrives  here  abundantly;  and 
fields  of  grain  are  seen  in  the  vallies  and  level  places ; 
but  they  are  less  productive  than  in  the  region  of  He¬ 
bron  and  Nabulus.  Neither  vineyards  nor  fig-trees 
flourish  on  the  high  ground  around  the  city ;  though 
the  latter  are  found  in  the  gardens  below  Siloarn,  and 
are  very  frequent  in  the  vicinity  of  Bethlehem. 


II.  THE  CITY,  ITS  INTERIOR,  ETC. 

The  Walls.  An  inscription  in  Arabic  over  the 
Y afa  Gate,  as  well  as  others  in  various  places,  records 
that  the  present  walls  of  Jerusalem  were  rebuilt  by 
order  of  Sultan  Suleiman  in  A.  H.  948,  corresponding 
to  A.  D.  1542.1  They  appear  to  occupy  very  nearly 
the  site  of  the  former  walls  of  the  middle  ages,  which 
were  several  times  thrown  down  and  rebuilt  during 
the  crusades  f  a  slight  deviation  only  being  visible 
around  the  N.  W.  corner,  on  both  the  western  and 
northern  sides.  The  materials  were  probably  those 
of  the  former  walls;  and  are  in  great  part  apparently 


1)  Or  as  usually  given,  A.  D. 
1543. — Q,uaresmius  assigns  the 
building  of  the  walls  to  Selim  in 
A.  D.  1517  ;  he  doubtless  could  not 
read  the  inscriptions.  Elucid.  II. 
p.  41. — Belon,  who  was  here  about 
A.  D.  1547,  mentions  that  the  walls 
had  been  recently  built  up  ;  Obser¬ 
vations,  etc.  p.  143.  Paulus’  Samml. 


I.  p.  162. — Schweigger  in  1576 
also  ascribes  them  to  Selim,  and 
tells  a  fabulous  story  of  his  caus¬ 
ing  the  lions  to  be  carved  over 
St.  Stephen’s  Gate ;  Reissbuch 
des  h.  Landes,  II.  p.  122. 

2)  See  further  on  under  “  Walls 
of  the  Middle  Agee.” 


Sec.  VII.] 


THE  MODERN  WALLS. 


385 


ancient.  They  consist  wholly  of  hewn  stones,  in 
general  not  very  large,  laid  in  mortar.1  Many  of  them 
are  bevelled  in  the  manner  which  will  he  described 
hereafter,  evincing  an  antiquity  not  later  than  the 
times  of  the  Romans ;  and  these  are  intermingled  with 
others  plainly  hewn,  especially  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  walls.  On  the  eastern  side,  the  wall  of  the  area 
of  the  Haram  esh-Sherif,  constitutes  also  the  wall  of 
the  city  for  about  half  the  extent  upon  this  side.  The 
same  is  true  of  the  southern  wall  of  this  area  for  about 
two  hundred  yards  from  its  S.  E.  corner ;  at  which 
point  the  city  wall  comes  up  at  right  angles  from  the 
South  and  unites  with  the  former.  The  parts  of  the 
wall  thus  connected  with  the  mosk,  would  seem  not  to 
have  been  rebuilt  at  the  same  time  with  the  rest;  they 
are  apparently  older  and  more  dilapidated  ;  although 
they  exhibit  an  abundance  of  patchwork. 

The  walls  of  the  city  have  quite  a  stately  and  im¬ 
posing  appearance ;  all  of  hewn  stone,  with  towers 
and  battlements ;  the  latter  crowning  a  breastwork 
with  loopholes.  This  has  already  been  described,  as 
protecting  the  broad  walk  along  the  top  of  the  wall 
within,  to  which  flights  of  steps  lead  up  at  convenient 
intervals.2  The  height  of  the  walls  on  the  outside 
varies  much  with  the  inequalities  of  the  ground  in  dif¬ 
ferent  parts,  from  some  twenty  to  fifty  feet.  At  the 
N.  E.  corner  and  along  a  portion  of  the  northern  side, 
a  trench  has  been  cut  in  the  rock  outside,  along  the 
wall,  apparently  as  a  further  defence;  but  in  other 
places  equally  exposed,  there  is  no  trace  of  any  trench. 
Indeed  the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  notwithstanding  their 
elevation  and  imposing  aspect,  would  probably  present 
no  great  obstacle  to  the  entrance  of  a  regular  besieg¬ 
ing  army. 

1)  Notwithstanding  the  mortar,  lizards,  which  are  seen  gliding 
the  walls  are  lull  of  crevices  ;  fur-  over  them  in  all  directions, 
nishing  a  retreat  to  multitudes  of  2)  See  above,  p.  352. 

Vol.  I.  49 


386 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


Gates.  Jerusalem  at  present  lias  only  four  open 
gates,  one  on  each  of  the  four  sides  of  the  city,  looking 
towards  the  North,  South,  East,  and  West.  Besides 
these  there  were  formerly  four  other  mostly  smaller 
gates,  now  closed  up  with  walls.  All  these  gates  ap¬ 
pear  to  occupy  the  same  places  as  those  which  existed 
before  the  present  city-wall  was  rebuilt ;  and  some  of 
them  are  evidently  themselves  earlier  structures,  which 
were  retained  at  that  time.  In  this  respect  we  shall 
recur  to  them  again  hereafter,  confining  ourselves  here 
to  their  present  state  and  names. 

On  the  West  side  of  the  city  is  the  gate  called  by 
the  natives  Bab  el-Kliulil ,  or  Hebron  Gate ;  but  which 
the  Franks  call  also  the  Gate  of  Bethlehem,  or  of 
Yafa,  and  sometimes  Gate  of  the  Pilgrims.  From  it 
lead  the  roads  to  all  these  three  towns.  It  consists  of 
a  massive  square  tower  ;  and  in  going  out  of  the  city 
one  enters  it  from  the  East  and  passes  out  through  its 
northern  side. — The  breadth  of  the  city  from  this  gate 
to  the  western  entrance  of  the  Haram  esh-Sherif,  is 
about  2100  feet  or  700  yards,  as  near  as  we  could  de¬ 
termine  it  by  paces. 

On  the  North  is  the  Damascus  Gate  of  the  Franks; 
called  by  the  natives  Bab  el-Amud ,  “  Gate  of  the  Pil¬ 
lar.”  It  is  more  ornamented  than  the  rest.  The 
great  road  to  Nabulus,  Damascus,  and  the  North,  leads 
from  it. 

St.  Stephen’s  Gate,  so  called  by  the  Franks,  is  on 
the  East  side  of  the  city,  a  little  North  of  the  area  of 
the  great  mosk.  The  Muslims  call  it  Bab  es-Subdt , 
“  Gate  of  the  Tribes  ;”  while  the  native  Christians 
give  it  the  name  Bab  Bitty  Mery  am ,  “  Gate  of  my 
Lady  Mary,”  probably  in  reference  to  the  church  and 
tomb  of  the  Virgin  Mary  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat 
below.  From  it  lead  the  roads  to  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
Bethany,  ’Anata,  etc.  Over  this  gate  on  the  outside 


GATES. 


Sec.  VII.] 


387 


are  sculptured  four  lions  ;  which  shows  at  least  that  it 
was  not  originally  the  work  of  Muhammedans. 

The  southern  gate,  called  by  the  Franks  that  of 
Zion,  and  by  the  natives  Bab  en-Neby  Dated ,  “  Gate 
of  the  Prophet  David,”  opens  out  only  upon  the  exte¬ 
rior  part  of  Zion,  towards  the  Muslim  tomb  of  David, 
etc.  Several  paths  indeed  wind  down  from  it  to  the 
Vallies  of  Hinnom  and  Jehoshaphat ;  hut  no  important 
road  leads  from  it. 

Of  the  gates  now  closed  up,  one  is  on  the  North 
side,  about  half  way  between  the  Damascus  Gate  and 
the  N.  E.  corner  of  the  city.  It  is  only  a  small  portal 
in  one  of  the  towers.  This  is  called  by  Franks  the 
Gate  of  Herod,  and  by  the  natives  Bab  ez- Zahary, 
u  the  flowery.” — Another  small  portal,  the  Dung  Gate 
of  the  Franks,  is  on  the  South  side  of  the  city,  a  little 
West  of  South  from  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the  area  of  the 
mosk,  and  near  the  bed  of  the  Tyropoeon.  The  native 
name  is  Bab  el-Mugharibeh ,  “  Gate  of  the  Western  Af¬ 
ricans.”1 — A  third  is  the  large  double  gateway  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  area  of  the  great  mosk,  now  called 
by  the  natives  Bab  ed-Dahariyeh ,  “  the  Eternal  Gate ;” 
hut  which  Franks  are  wont  to  speak  of  as  the  Golden 
Gate,  Porta  aurea .2  This  is  evidently  a  structure 
of  antiquity,  and  will  he  more  fully  described  here¬ 
after. — The  fourth  of  these  gates  is  adjacent  to  the 
South  wall  of  the  area  of  the  mosk,  just  in  the  corner 
where  the  city-wall  comes  up  and  joins  it.  It  is  a 
low  square  tower ;  and  if  seen  only  from  the  outside, 
looks  as  if  it  had  once  led  up  into  the  area  of  the  mosk. 
We  examined  it,  and  entered  it  afterwards  from  the 
inside,  and  found  that  it  led  only  into  the  city.  The 

1)  The  adjacent  quarter  of  the  ed-D!n  in  A.  D.  1495,  translated  by 
city,  near  the  S.  W.  part  of  the  von  Hammer,  Fundgruben  des 
court  of  the  great  mosk,  appears  Orients,  II.  pp.  98,  125. 
at  one  time  to  have  been  inhabited  2)  The  name  Porta  aurea  goes 
by  a  colony  of  these  people.  See  back  at  least  to  the  times  of  the 
the  History  of  Jerusalem  by  Mejr  crusades;  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  3. 


388 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


workmanship  of  it  is  quite  modern.  Of  this  gate  I 
have  been  able  to  find  no  mention,  either  in  Arabian 
or  early  Christian  writers.  Quaresmius  is  silent  as 
to  it ;  and  no  Frank  traveller  appears  to  have  observ¬ 
ed  it,  until  within  a  few  years.  Richardson  saw  it 
only  from  the  outside,  and  speaks  of  it  under  a  wrong 
name,  as  leading  up  into  the  mosk  el-Aksa.1 

The  Golden  Gate  has  been  walled  up  for  centuries; 
and  the  one  last  mentioned,  adjacent  to  the  S.  side  of 
the  same  area,  would  seem  also  to  have  been  very 
long  disused.  There  is  no  trace  of  any  former  path 
connected  with  it,  either  within  or  without  the  city. 
The  other  two  gates,  or  rather  portals, — the  Dung 
Gate  and  that  of  Herod,  so  called, — have  been  appa¬ 
rently  more  recently  closed.  They  seem  to  have  been 
open  in  Niebuhr’s  day  ;2  and  several  travellers  of  the 
present  century  mention  their  names,  without  specify¬ 
ing  whether  they  were  still  open  or  not.3  At  present 
they  are  firmly  walled  up  ;  although  a  lane  which  even 
now  leads  down  through  fields  of  prickly  pear  towards 
the  Dung  Gate,  would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  latter 
had  not  long  been  closed.4 

Mount  Zion.  Of  the  hills  by  which  the  surface  of 
the  city  was  and  is  divided  into  various  quarters,  that 
of  Zion  is  the  most  extensive  and  important.  Its  nor¬ 
thern  part  or  brow  is  just  South  of  the  street  which 
leads  down  directly  East  from  the  Yafa  Gate,  along 
the  bed  of  the  ancient  Tyropoeon.  In  going  from  this 
street  southwards  near  the  bazars,  one  comes  almost 
immediately  to  a  sharp  though  short  ascent ;  and  turn¬ 
ing  to  the  right  along  its  brow,  finds  himself  higher 
than  the  roofs  of  the  small  houses  which  line  the 

1)  Richardson’s  Travels,  etc.  Chateaubriand  Itin.  II.  pp.  67,  68. 

II.  pp.  235,  292.  Prokesch  Reise  Par.  1837.  Richardson  II.  pp.  254, 
ins  h.  Land.  p.  85  255.  Prokesch.  pp.  85,  86. 

2)  Niebuhr’s  Reisebeschr.  III.  4)  According  to  Schubert,  both 

p.  52.  Comp.  Kortens  Reise,  p.  these  gates  have  been  closed  up 
112.  only  since  the  rebellion  of  1834; 

3)  Travels  of  AliBey  II.  p.  244.  Reise  etc.  II.  pp.  542,  544. 


Sec.  VII.] 


MOUNT  ZION. 


389 


vStreet  below.  The  ascent  towards  the  S.  along  the 
street  near  hy  the  citadel  is  more  gradual. 

On  the  West  and  South,  Zion  rises  abruptly  from 
the  Valley  of  Hinnom,  which  sweeps  around  its  S.  W. 
corner  almost  at  a  right  angle,  descending  very  rapidly 
first  towards  the  S.  and  then  towards  the  E.  to  the 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  This  circumstance  renders  the 
S.  W.  brow  of  Zion  apparently  more  lofty  than  any 
other  point  connected  with  the  city  now  or  anciently. 
This  we  measured  approximately.  Beginning  at  the 
first  tower  from  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the  city-wall,  we 
measured  865  feet  on  a  course  due  South  to  the  brow 
of  Zion.  Hence  the  well  of  Job  or  Nehemiah  bore  S. 
58°  E.  at  an  angle  of  depression  of  12°.  Descending 
now  very  steeply,  still  due  South,  we  measured  140 
feet  at  an  angle  of  11°  depression,  and  530  feet  at  an 
angle  of  234° ;  and  came  thus  to  the  bottom  of  the  Valley 
of  Hinnom  just  East  of  the  road  which  there  crosses 
it.  This  gives  an  elevation  above  the  valley  at  this 
point  of  154  English  feet ;  which  is  probably  not  very 
far  from  the  truth.  The  height  of  Zion  above  the  valley 
at  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the  wall  of  the  city,  obtained 
in  the  same  way,  is  104  feet ;  and  that  of  the  ground 
at  the  Yafa  Gate,  44  feet.  But  these  differences  arise 
at  least  as  much  from  the  rapid  sinking  of  the  valley, 
as  from  the  increased  height  of  Zion  towards  the 
South.  The  elevation  of  the  southern  brow  of  Zion 
above  the  well  of  Nehemiah,  we  were  unable  to  ob-. 
tain ;  but  from  the  very  rapid  descent  of  the  Valley 
of  Hinnom  in  that  part,  I  should  be  inclined  to  esti¬ 
mate  it  at  not  less  than  300  feet.1 


1)  According  to  Schubert’s  ba¬ 
rometrical  measurements,  Zion  is 
241  Paris  feet  higher  than  the  Val¬ 
ley  of  Jehoshaphat.  But  it  is  not 
said  at  what  point  in  that  valley  the 
observation  was  taken  ;  though  va¬ 
rious  reasons  render  it  probable, 
that  it  was  not  lower  down  than 


opposite  the  great  mosk.  If  so,  the 
estimate  in  the  text  accords  well 
with  that  result ;  for  the  descent 
of  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  from 
that  point  to  the  well  of  Job,  is  cer¬ 
tainly  not  less  than  60  feet.  Schu¬ 
bert’s  Reise,  II.  p.  521. 


390 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  YII. 


The  summit  of  Zion  presents  a  level  tract  of  con¬ 
siderable  extent  along  its  western  brow.  The  east¬ 
ern  side  of  the  hill  slopes  down  steeply,  but  not  in 
general  abruptly,  to  the  Tyropoeon,  which  separates 
it  from  the  narrow  ridge  South  of  the  Haram ;  while 
at  the  extreme  S.  E.  part,  below  Siloam,  it  extends 
quite  down  to  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  Only  the 
northern  portion  of  Zion  is  included  in  the  modern 
walls  ;  and  this  is  occupied  chiefly  by  the  Jewish 
quarter,  and  by  the  great  Armenian  convent.  Here 
the  eastern  side  of  Zion  within  the  city,  adjacent  to 
the  Tyropoeon  after  it  bends  South,  is  an  abrupt  pre¬ 
cipice  of  rock  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high,  lying 
overagainst  the  S.  W.  part  of  the  area  of  the  Haram 
esh-Sherif.  This  rock  is  still  in  its  natural  state ;  and 
probably  presents  the  same  appearance  as  it  did  in 
the  days  of  Josephus;  though  the  adjacent  valley  has 
doubtless  been  greatly  filled  up  with  rubbish. 

Without  the  walls,  the  level  part  of  Zion,  as  we 
have  seen,  is  occupied  by  the  Christian  cemeteries,  the 
house  of  Caiaphas  now  an  Armenian  convent,  the 
Coenaculum  or  Muslim  tomb  of  David,  and  the  adja¬ 
cent  buildings,  formerly  a  Latin  convent.  The  rest  of 
the  surface  is  now  tilled ;  and  the  city  of  David  has 
become  a  ploughed  field !  The  eastern  slope  is  like¬ 
wise  in  part  cultivated ;  and  paths  wind  down  along 
the  declivity  to  Siloam,  and  also  more  to  the  right  to 
the  bottom  of  the  Valley  of  Hinnom.  The  aqueduct 
from  Solomon’s  Pools,  which  crosses  the  Valley  of 
Hinnom  at  a  point  N.  of  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the  city 
wall,  is  then  carried  along  and  around  the  S.  W.  part 
of  Zion  above  the  valley,  till  it  comes  out  again  high 
up  along  the  eastern  slope  and  enters  the  city. 

Below  the  aqueduct,  and  indeed  near  the  bed  of 
the  Tyropoeon,  a  few  rods  South  of  the  Dung  Gate,  is 
a  low  arch,  forming  the  outlet  of  a  large  sewer  from 
the  city.  We  could  not  ascertain  from  what  point 


Sec.  VII.] 


AKRA. 


391 


within  the  walls  the  sewer  comes,  but  it  is  not  impro¬ 
bably  brought  along  beneath  the  eastern  brow  of  Zion. 
It  was  now  entirely  dry.  During  the  rebellion  of  the 
Fellahs  and  their  siege  of  Jerusalem  in  1834,  some  of 
the  leaders  are  said  to  have  passed  up  through  this 
sewer,  and  thus  got  possession  of  the  city. 

Akra.  North  of  Zion  is  the  hill  of  Akra.  It  is  the 
continuation  or  rather  the  termination  of  the  broad 
ridge  or  swell  of  land  which  lies  North  of  the  basin  at 
the  head  of  the  Valley  of  Hinnom,  and  extends  down 
into  the  city,  forming  its  N.  W.  part.  Indeed  the  N. 
W.  corner  of  the  city  wall  is  directly  on  this  ridge  ; 
from  which  spot  the  wall  descends  immediately  to¬ 
wards  the  N.  E.  and  also  though  less  rapidly  towards 
the  S.  E.  To  the  whole  ridge,  both  without  and 
within  the  city,  a  comparatively  modern  tradition  has 
given  the  name  of  Mount  Gihon  ;  though  there  is  no 
trace  of  any  hill  so  named  in  Scripture  or  other  ancient 
history.1  Within  the  walls,  this  hill  or  ridge  is  sepa¬ 
rated  from  Zion,  as  we  have  seen,  by  the  upper  part 
of  the  Tyropoeon  ;  which  commences  as  a  shallow 
depression  near  the  Yafa  Gate. 

When  one  enters  the  Yafa  Gate  and  takes  the  first 
street  leading  North  immediately  from  the  adjacent 
open  place,  he  has  before  him  at  first  a  considerable 
ascent;  though  afterwards  the  way  is  more  level  quite 
to  the  Latin  convent  in  the  N.  W.  part  of  the  city. 
In  the  street  leading  North  below  the  Pool  of  Heze- 
kiah,  and  also  in  that  along  the  bazars,  this  ascent  is 
less  perceptible.  The  church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
stands  directly  on  the  ridge  of  Akra ;  and  from  it  and 
from  that  neighbourhood,  there  is  everywhere  a  con¬ 
siderable  declivity  towards  the  Damascus  Gate.  The 
ground  also  descends  eastward  from  the  Latin  convent 

1)  The  name  of  Gihon,  as  ap-  mentioned  by  Brocardus  about 
plied  to  this  ridge,  seems  to  be  first  A.  13.  1283,  Cap.  IX. 


392 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


to  the  same  church ;  and  then  again  by  a  still  steeper 
declivity  from  the  church  to  the  street  along  the  val¬ 
ley  between  Akra  and  the  area  of  the  great  mosk. 

Bezetha.  Eastward  from  the  Damascus  Gate, 
and  northeasterly  from  Akra,  lies  the  hill  of  Bezetha. 
It  is  separated  from  Akra  by  the  rather  broad  valley 
which  has  its  commencement  in  the  plain  just  around 
the  Damascus  Gate,  and  runs  in  a  southerly  direction 
till  it  unites  with  the  Tyropoeon  below  the  point  of 
Akra.  The  western  side  of  Bezetha  is  nearly  or  quite 
as  high  as  Akra while  towards  the  East  it  slopes 
gradually  down  to  the  brow  of  the  Valley  of  Jehosha- 
phat.  The  western  side,  near  the  gate  of  Damascus, 
is  very  steep  ;  as  are  also  the  northern  and  southern 

sides  in  this  quarter.  Indeed  the  north  wall  of  the 

« 

city  runs  along  its  northern  brow  ;  and  the  rock  on  the 
outside  is  there  precipitous  ;  with  a  wide  and  deep 
trench  at  its  base  cut  through  the  solid  rock. 

The  summit  of  Bezetha  is  now  mostly  covered 
with  low  buildings,  or  rather  hovels  ;  and  on  the  S.  E. 
part  are  also  dwellings  and  the  ruined  church  connected 
with  the  former  nunnery  of  the  house  of  Anna.2  But 
in  the  N.  E.  the  whole  slope  within  the  city  walls 
is  occupied  by  gardens,  fields,  and  olive-yards,  with 
comparatively  few  houses  or  ruined  dwellings  ;  the 
whole  having  more  the  aspect  of  a  village  in  the  coun¬ 
try,  than  of  a  quarter  in  a  city.  The  top  of  the  hill 
presents  a  fine  view  of  the  other  parts  of  Jerusalem. 
We  saw  here  no  traces  of  ancient  ruins ;  although  the 
monks  have  chosen  to  assign  this  location  to  a  palace 
of  the  younger  (Herod)  Agrippa.3 


1)  Josephus  says  Bezetha  was 
higher  than  any  of  the  other  hills  ; 
B.  J.  V.  5.  8.  This  is  probably 
meant  of  the  hills  of  the  lower  city, 
Moriah  and  Akra ;  and  is  true  as 
t,o  the  part  of  Akra  which  lay 
within  the  second  wall.  But  the 


language  could  not  well  be  true  in 
respect  to  Zion. 

2)  See  above,  p.  344. 

3)  This  hypothesis  is  mentioned 
by  Marinus  Sanutus,  A.  D.  1321, 
(III.  14.  10,)  but  appears  to  be 
wholly  groundless.  The  main  pas- 


Sec.  VII.] 


BEZETHA.  MORIAH. 


Moriah.  I  have  already  remarked,  that  the  part 
of  Jerusalem  lying  between  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat 
and  the  valley  running  down  from  the  Damascus 
Gate  to  the  Pool  of  Siloam,  may  be  regarded  as  one 
ridge,  having  on  it  the  separate  summits  or  hills  Be- 
zetha  and  Moriah ;  and  corresponding  further  down 
perhaps  to  the  ancient  quarter  Ophel.  Moriah  was 
apparently  at  first  an  elevated  mound  of  rock,  rising 
by  itself  upon  this  ridge,  overagainst  the^eastern  point 
of  Akra.  The  temple  was  placed  upon  the  levelled 
summit  of  this  rock;  and  then  immense  walls  were 
erected  from  its  base  on  the  four  sides ;  and  the  inter¬ 
val  between  them  and  the  sides  filled  in  with  earth, 
or  built  up  with  vaults ;  so  as  to  form  on  the  top  a 
large  area  on  a  level  with  the  temple.1  This  area  or 
court  of  the  ancient  temple,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter, 
was  probably  not  very  different  from  the  present  en¬ 
closure  of  the  Haram  esh-Sherif.  This  is  now  separat¬ 
ed  from  the  rocky  brow  of  Zion  by  the  Tyropoeon ;  and 
from  Akra  by  the  valley  which  comes  from  the  Da¬ 
mascus  Gate. 

In  passing  along  this  valley  through  the  present 
street  towards  the  South,  apparently  just  before  com¬ 
ing  to  the  Tyropoeon,  one  crosses  over  a  small  rise  of 
ground.  This  is  probably  rubbish,  the  accumulation 
of  ages ;  though  the  houses  in  the  vicinity  prevented 
us  from  ascertaining  whether  it  extends  quite  across 
the  valley.  It  is  also  possible,  that  this  mound  may 
serve  to  carry  the  aqueduct  from  Solomon’s  Pools  into 
the  area  of  the  mosk;  which  is  everywhere  higher 


sage  which  Q,uaresmius  cites  from 
Josephus  in  support  of  it,  (Antiq. 
XX.  8,  11,)  contradicts  it  express¬ 
ly.  Josephus  there  relates,  that 
Agrippa  built  a  house  or  palace 
near  the  Xystus,  whence  he  could 
see  from  his  couch  whatever  was 
going  on  in  the  temple:  and  to 

Vol.  I.  50 


prevent  this  the  Jews  raised  a  high 
wall  on  the  west  side  of  the  temple. 
All  this  of  course  fixes  the  site  of 
the  palace  upon  the  N.  E.  part 
of  Zion.  See  Quaresm.  Elucid. 
Terrae  Sanct.  II.  p.  204. 

1)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  5.  1. 


394 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


than  the  bottom  of  this  valley.  Indeed  all  the  west¬ 
ern  entrances  of  the  mosk  are  reached  by  an  ascent ; 
and  some  of  them  at  least  by  steps. 

On  the  North  side,  Moriah  is  not  now  separated 
from  Bezetha  by  any  valley  or  trench ;  except  in  part 
by  the  large  reservoir  commonly  called  Bethesda. 
The  street  which  leads  to  the  eastern  gate  of  the  city 
passes  here ;  ascending  somewhat  from  the  valley 
near  the  N.  W.  corner  of  the  area,  having  the  steep 
part  of  Bezetha  on  the  left ;  and  then  descending  grad¬ 
ually  to  St.  Stephen’s  Gate. 

Ophel.  This  is  the  remainder  of  the  ridge  extend¬ 
ing  South  from  Moriah  to  Siloam,  between  the  deep 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  on  the  East  and  the  steep  but 
shallower  Tyropoeon  on  the  West.  The  top  of  the 
ridge  is  flat,  descending  rapidly  towards  the  S.  some¬ 
times  by  offsets  of  rock  ;  and  the  ground  is  tilled  and 
planted  with  olive  and  other  fruit-trees.  At  the 
northern  end,  just  at  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the  city-wall, 
(not  that  of  the  mosk,)  the  surface  is  already  100  feet 
lower  than  the  top  of  the  wall  of  the  area  of  the  mosk. 
From  this  point  I  measured  1550  feet  or  about  516 
yards  on  a  course  S.  20°  W.  to  the  end  of  the  ridge, 
a  rocky  point  forty  or  fifty  feet  above  the  Pool  of  Si- 
loam  in  the  mouth  of  the  Tyropoeon.  The  breadth 
of  the  ridge,  as  measured  about  the  middle,  I  found 
to  be  290  feet,  or  about  96  yards,  from  brow  to  brow. 

Chief  Streets.  The  principal  streets  in  Jerusalem 
run  nearly  at  right  angles  to  eacli  other.  Very  few 
if  any  of  them  bear  names  among  the  native  population.1 
They  are  narrow  and  badly  paved,  being  merely  laid 
irregularly  with  large  stones,  with  a  deep  square  chan- 

1)  Chateaubriand  in  his  Itine -  years  in  the  city,  and  made  fre- 
raire  professes  to  give  the  names  quent  inquiries,  had  never  been 
of  all  the  chief  streets  ;  but  our  able  tp  hear  of  any,  except  in  on« 
friends,  who  had  resided  several  or  two  instances. 


Sec.  VII.] 


OPHEL.— STREETS. 


395 


nel  in  the  middle;  but  the  steepness  of  the  ground  contri¬ 
butes  to  keep  them  cleaner  than  in  most  oriental  cities. 
Of  those  running  down  eastwards  from  the  upper  to  the 
lower  part  of  the  city,  the  chief  are,  the  one  leading 
from  the  Y afa  Gate  directly  to  the  Haram  esh-Sherif, 
and  that  from  the  Latin  convent  to  St.  Stephen’s 
Gate.  This  last  includes  the  Via  dolorosa.  The 
principal  streets  running  from  South  to  North  are,  that 
just  below  the  Pool  of  Hezekiah,  those  of  the  Bazar, 
and  that  along  the  hollow  parallel  to  the  Haram. 
Those  on  Zion  seem  in  general  to  be  less  frequented. 

Circumference  of  the  Holy  City.  One  of  the  first 
measurements  which  I  took  in  Jerusalem,  was  that 
of  the  circumference  of  the  walls.  This  was  done 
with  a  measuring  tape  of  one  hundred  English  feet, 
carried  by  our  two  servants,  while  I  noted  down  the 
results.  We  measured  as  closely  as  possible  to  the 
walls,  yet  without  regarding  the  short  angles  and 
smaller  zigzags.  We  started  from  the  Yafa  Gate  and 
proceeded  first  southwards  and  so  around  the  city. 


Eng.  Feet.  Gen.  Course. 

1.  From  the  Yafa  Gate  to  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the 


city,  first  descending  and  then  ascending 

1400 

S. 

2.  Zion  Gate,  level  . . 

600 

Easterly. 

3.  Dung  Gate  (closed),  descending 

1700 

N.  Easterly 

4.  S.  E.  corner  of  city-wall,  nearly  level 

500 

E. 

5.  Wall  of  area  of  Great  Mosk,  S.  side,  ascending 

290 

N. 

6.  S.  E.  corner  of  wall  of  Mosk,  level 

630 

E. 

7.  Golden  Gate  (closed),  slightly  ascending 

1045 

N. 

8.  N.  E.  corner  of  area  of  Mosk,  level  . 

483 

N. 

9.  St.  Stephen’s  Gate,  level  .... 

200 

N. 

10.  N.  E.  corner  of  city,  level  .... 

1062 

N. 

11.  Herod’s  Gate  (closed),  along  the  trench,  level 

1000 

Westerly 

12.  Damascus  Gate,  uneven  .... 

1200 

Westerly 

13.  N.  W.  corner  of  city,  ascending 

1990  S.  Westerly 

14.  Y&fa  Gate,  descending  gradually  . 

878  S.  40°  E. 

12,978  Feet, 
or  4,326  Yards. 


396 


JERUSALEM. — TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


This  gives  for  the  whole  circumference  a  distance 
of  2\  English  miles  less  74  yards ;  or  very  nearly  2i 
geographical  miles. 


III.  ADJACENT  VALLIES  AND  HILLS. 

Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  Brook  Kidron.  The  deep 
valley  on  the  East  of  Jerusalem  appears  to  be  men¬ 
tioned  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament  only  under 
the  name  of  the  Brook  or  Torrent  Kidron.  Josephus 
also  gives  it  only  the  same  name.1  The  prophet  Joel 
speaks  indeed  of  a  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  in  which 
God  will  judge  the  heathen  for  their  oppression  of  the 
Jews ;  but  this  seems  to  be  merely  a  metaphorical 
allusion  to  the  signification  of  the  name.2  There  is 
not  the  slightest  historical  ground,  either  in  the  Scrip¬ 
tures  or  in  Josephus,  for  connecting  it  with  the  valley 
of  the  Kidron.3  Yet  on  this  slender  foundation  ap¬ 
pears  to  rest  the  present  name  of  the  valley  ;  and  also 
the  belief  current  among  the  Catholics,  Jews,  and 
Muhammedans,  that  the  last  judgment  will  be  held  in 
it.4  The  name  Jehoshaphat,  however,  was  already 


1)  2  Sam.  xv.  23. 1  Kings  ii.  38. 
etc.  The  Hebrew  word  is  bn:, 
which  may  be  taken  as  nearly 
equivalent  to  the  Arabic  Wady. 
The  Seventy,  the  New  Testament, 
and  also  Josephus,  have  x*tyaQQo<z> 
a  storm-brook,  winter-torrent ;  see 
as  above,  and  John  xviii.  1.  Joseph. 
Ant.  VIII.  1.  5.  Josephus  has 
also  (pdnay f  KtSooiv,  B.  J.  V.  2.  3. 
V.  4.  2. 

2)  Joel  iii.  (iv.)  2,  12.  Jehosha¬ 
phat,  Heb.  tiSttiii-p  i.  e.  Jehovah 

t  t  : 

judgeth.  The  reference  sometimes 
made  to  2  Chr.  c.  xx.  has  no  bear¬ 
ing  upon  the  illustration  of  Joel  l.c. 

3)  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  re¬ 

mark,  that  there  is  likewise  no  his¬ 
torical  ground  for  connecting  this 


f 

valley  in  any  yray  with  the  Valley 
of  Shaveh  or  the  King’s  Dale, 
Gen.  xiv.  17.  2  Sam.  xviii.  18. 

4)  Doubdan  Voyage,  etc.  p.  262. 
Q,uaresmius  Elucid.  Terr.  Sanct. 
II.  p.  156.  Reland  Pal.  p.  355. 
Raumer’s  Pal.  ed.  2,  p.  327.  Trav¬ 
els  of  Ali  Bey,  II.  p.  224.  Hist,  of 
Jerus.  by  Mejr  ed-Din,  Fundgru- 
ben  des  Orients,  II.  p.  381. — This 
latter  writer  calls  the  valley,  or  at 
least  the  part  N.  of  the  city,  in  al¬ 
lusion  to  the  same  belief,  es-Sahe- 
rah  ;  p.  133.  But  both  he  and  also 
Bohaeddin  in  the  twelfth  century, 
give  to  the  part  along  and  below 
the  city,  the  name  of  Jehennam 
(Grehinnom)  ;  ibid.  p.  133.  Bohaed. 
Vit.  Saladin.  p.  73.  ed.  Schult. 


Sec.  VII.] 


VALLEY  OF  JEHOSHAPHAT. 


397 


applied  to  it  in  the  earliest  ages  of  the  Christian  era ; 
for  it  is  found  in  Eusebius  and  other  writers  of  the 
fourth  century.1  There  is  therefore  no  good  reason, 
why  we  should  not  employ  this  name  at  the  present 
day.  The  Arabs  too  have  adopted  it,  under  the  form 
of  Wady  Yehoshafat. 

It  is  remarkable  that  no  writer  (at  least  so  far  as 
I  have  been  able  to  discover)  has  given  the  topography 
of  the  upper  part  of  this  valley ;  nor  correctly  described 
either  the  place  of  its  beginning,  nor  its  course  below 
the  well  of  Nehemiah.  One  of  the  latest  and  most  exact 
travellers  has  even  said,  that  it  commences  near  the 
BT.  E.  corner  of  the  city.2  For  this  reason,  the  follow¬ 
ing  details  are  here  given. 

In  approaching  Jerusalem  from  the  high  mosk  of 
Neby  Samwil  in  the  N.  W.  the  traveller  first  descends 
and  crosses  the  bed  of  the  great  Wady  Beit  Hanina 
already  described.  He  then  ascends  again  towards 
the  S.  E.  by  a  small  side  Wady  and  along  a  rocky  slope 
for  twenty-five  minutes,  when  he  reaches  the  Tombs 
of  the  Judges,  lying  in  a  small  gap  or  depression  of 
the  ridge,  still  half  an  hour  distant  from  the  northern 
gate  of  the  city.  A  few  steps  further  he  reaches  the 
water-shed  between  the  great  Wady  behind  him  and 
the  tract  before  him  ;  and  here  is  the  head  of  the  Val¬ 
ley  of  Jehoshaphat.  From  this  point  the  Dome  of 
the  Holy  Sepulchre  bears  S.  by  E.  The  tract  around 
this  spot  is  very  rocky ;  and  the  rocks  have  been  much 
cut  away,  partly  in  quarrying  building-stone,  and 
partly  in  the  formation  of  sepulchres.  The  region  is 
full  of  excavated  tombs;  and  these  continue  with 
more  or  less  frequency  on  both  sides  of  the  valley,  all 

1)  Euseb.  Onomast.  art.  Kodaq,  2)  Prokesch,  p.  86.  So  also,  by 
Coelas.  Cyrill  in  Joel  iii.  (iv.)  2,  implication,  Quaresmius,  Tom.  II. 
12.  Itinerar.  Hierosol.  p.  594,  ed.  pp.  151,  155. 

Wesseling. 


398 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  YII. 


the  way  down  to  Jerusalem.  The  valley  runs  for 
fifteen  minutes  directly  towards  the  city ;  it  is  here 
shallow  and  broad,  and  in  some  parts  tilled,  though 
very  stony.  The  road  follows  along  its  bottom  to  the 
same  point.  The  valley  now  turns  nearly  East,  almost 
at  a  right  angle,  and  passes  to  the  northward  of  the 
Tombs  of  the  Kings  and  the  Muslim  Wely  before 
mentioned.1  Here  it  is  about  two  hundred  rods  dis¬ 
tant  from  the  city ;  and  the  tract  between  is  tolerably 
level  ground,  planted  with  olive-trees.  The  Nabulus 
road  crosses  it  in  this  part,  and  ascends  the  hill  on  the 
North.  The  valley  is  here  still  shallow,  and  runs  in 
the  same  direction  for  about  ten  minutes.  It  then  bends 
again  to  the  South,  and  following  this  general  course, 
passes  between  the  city  and  the  Mount  of  Olives. 

Before  reaching  the  city,  and  also  opposite  its 
northern  part,  the  valley  spreads  out  into  a  basin  of 
some  breadth,  which  is  tilled,  and  contains  plantations 
of  olive  and  other  fruit-trees.  In  this  part  it  is  crossed 
obliquely  by  a  road  leading  from  the  N.  E.  corner  of 
Jerusalem  across  the  northern  part  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives  to  ’Anata.  Its  sides  are  still  full  of  excavated 
tombs.  As  the  valley  descends,  the  steep  side  upon 
the  right  becomes  more  and  more  elevated  above  it ; 
until  at  the  gate  of  St.  Stephen,  the  height  of  this 
brow  is  about  100  feet.  Here  a  path  winds  down 
from  the  gate  on  a  course  S.  E.  by  E.  and  crosses  the 
valley  by  a  bridge;  beyond  which  are  the  church 
with  the  Tomb  of  the  Virgin,  Gethsemane,  and  other 
plantations  of  olive-trees,  already  described.2  The 
path  and  bridge  are  on  a  causeway,  or  rather  terrace, 
built  up  across  the  valley,  perpendicular  on  the  S. 
side;  the  earth  being  filled  in  on  the  northern  side  up  to 
the  level  of  the  bridge.  The  bridge  itself  consists  of 


1)  Page  355. 


2)  See  page  345—347. 


Sec.  VII.]  VALLEY  OF  JEHOSHAPHAT.  399 

an  arch,  open  on  the  S.  side,  and  17  feet  high  from  the 
bed  of  the  channel  below ;  but  the  N,  side  is  built  up, 
with  two  subterranean  drains  entering  it  from  above ; 
one  of  which  comes  from  the  sunken  court  of  the  Vh> 
gin’s  Tomb,  and  the  other  from  the  fields  further  in 
the  Northwest.1  The  breadth  of  the  valley  at  this 
point,  will  appear  from  the  measurements  which  I  took 
from  St.  Stephen’s  Gate  to  Gethsemane,  along  the 
path,  viz. 

Eng.  Feet. 

1.  From  St.  Stephen’s  Gate  to  the  brow  of  the  descent,  level,  .  135 


2.  Bottom  of  the  slope,  the  angle  of  the  descent  being  16£°  .  415 

3.  Bridge,  level . 140 

4.  N.  W.  corner  of  Gethsemane,  slight  rise  ....  145 

5.  N.  E.  corner  of  do.  do . 150 


The  last  three  numbers  give  the  breadth  of  the  proper 
bottom  of  the  valley  at  this  spot,  viz.  435  feet,  or  145 
yards.  Further  North  it  is  somewhat  broader. 

Below  the  bridge  the  valley  contracts  gradually, 
and  sinks  more  rapidly.  The  first  continuous  traces 
of  a  water-course  or  torrent-bed  commence  at  the 
bridge ;  though  they  occur  likewise  at  intervals  higher 
up.  The  western  hill  becomes  steeper  and  more  ele¬ 
vated  ;  while  on  the  East  the  Mount  of  Olives  rises 
much  higher,  but  is  not  so  steep.  At  the  distance  of 
1,000  feet  from  the  bridge  on  a  course  S.  10°  W.  the 
bottom  of  the  valley  has  become  merely  a  deep  gully, 
the  narrow  bed  of  a  torrent,  from  which  the  hills  rise 
directly  on  each  side.  Here  another  bridge  is  thrown 
across  it  on  an  arch  ;  and  just  by  on  the  left  are  the 
alleged  tombs  of  Jehoshaphat,  Absalom  and  others ; 
as  also  the  Jewish  cemetery.  The  valley  now  con¬ 
tinues  of  the  same  character,  and  follows  the  same 

1)  This  bridge  too  has  been  as-  111.  Adrichom.  Theatrum  Terra? 
cribed  to  Helena;  Breydenbach  Sanct.  page  171. 
in  Reissbuch  des  heil.  Landes,  p. 


400 


JERUSALEM.— -TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


course  (S,  10°  W.)  for  550  feet  further;  where  it 
makes  a  sharp  turn  for  a  moment  towards  the  right. 
This  portion  is  the  narrowest  of  all ;  it  is  here  a  mere 
ravine  between  high  mountains.  The  S.  E.  corner 
of  the  area  of  the  mosk  overhangs  this  part,  the  corner 
of  the  wall  standing  upon  the  very  brink  of  the  decli¬ 
vity.  From  it  to  the  bottom,  on  a  course  S.  E.  the 
angle  of  depression  is  27°,  and  the  distance  450 
feet ;  giving  an  elevation  of  128  feet  at  that  point ;  to 
which  may  be  added  20  feet  or  more  for  the  rise  of 
ground  just  North  along  the  wall ;  making  in  all  an 
elevation  of  about  150  feetd  This  however  is  the 
highest  point  above  the  valley ;  for  further  South,  the 
narrow  ridge  of  Ophel  slopes  down  as  rapidly  as  the 
valley  itself. — In  this  part  of  the  valley  one  would 
expect  to  find,  if  anywhere,  traces  of  ruins  thrown 
down  from  above,  and  the  ground  raised  by  the  rub¬ 
bish  thus  accumulated.  Occasional  blocks  of  stone 
are  indeed  seen ;  but  neither  the  surface  of  the  ground, 
nor  the  bed  of  the  torrent,  exhibits  any  special  appear¬ 
ance  of  having  been  raised  or  interrupted  by  masses 
of  ruins. 

Below  the  short  turn  above  mentioned,  a  line  of 
1,025  feet  on  a  course  S.  W.  brings  us  to  the  fountain 
of  the  Virgin,  lying  deep  under  the  western  hill.  The 
valley  has  now  opened  a  little ;  but  its  bottom  is  still 
occupied  only  by  the  bed  of  the  torrent.  From  here 
a  course  S.  20°  W.  carried  us  along  the  village  of 
Siloam  (Kefr  Selwan)  on  the  eastern  side,  and  at  1,170 


1)  The  first  time  we  passed 
along  the  western  brow  of  the  Val¬ 
ley  of  Jehoshaphat  in  this  part,  in 
company  with  Mr.  Nicolayson,  and 
looked  down  upon  it  from  above  at 
the  S.  E.  corner  of  the  area  of  the 
mosk,  we  all  judged  the  depth  to 
be  200  feet.  By  an  error,  which  is 
very  remarkable  in  him,  Niebuhr 


estimates  the  general  depth  of  the 
valley  here  at  only  40  or  50  feet ; 
Reisebeschr.  III.  p.  54 ;  Anhang 
p.  143.  Olshausen’s  Topogr.  des 
alt.  Jerus.  pp.  72,  73. — The  mea¬ 
surement  given  in  the  text,  al¬ 
though  only  an  approximation,  is 
yet  near  enough  to  the  truth  to 
correct  both  these  estimates. 


Sec.  VIL] 


VALLEY  OF  JEHOSHAPHAT. 


401 


feet  we  were  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Tyropoeon  and 
the  Pool  of  Siloam,  which  lies  255  feet  within  it. 
The  mouth  of  this  valley  is  still  40  or  50  feet  higher 
than  the  bed  of  the  Kidron.  The  steep  descent  be¬ 
tween  the  two  has  been  already  described  as  built  up 
in  terraces  ;  which,  as  well  as  the  strip  of  level  ground 
below,  are  occupied  with  gardens  belonging  to  the 
village  of  Siloam.  These  are  irrigated  by  the  waters 
of  the  Pool  of  Siloam,  which  at  this  time  were  lost  in 
them.  In  these  gardens  the  stones  have  been  removed, 
and  the  soil  is  a  fine  mould.  They  are  planted  with 
fig  and  other  fruit-trees,  and  furnish  also  vegetables 
for  the  city.  Elsewhere  the  bottom  of  the  valley  is 
thickly  strewed  with  small  stones. 

Further  down,  the  valley  opens  more  and  is  tilled. 
A  line  of  685  feet  on  the  same  course  (S.  20°  W.) 
brought  us  to  a  rocky  point  of  the  eastern  hill,  here 
called  the  Mount  of  Offence,  overagainst  the  entrance 
of  the  Valley  of  Hinnom.  Thence  to  the  well  of  Job 
or  Nehemiah,  is  275  feet  due  South.  At  the  junction 
of  the  two  vallies,  the  bottom  forms  an  oblong  plat, 
extending  from  the  gardens  above  mentioned  nearly 
to  the  well  of  Job,  and  being  150  yards  or  more  in 
breadth.  The  western  and  northwestern  parts  of  this 
plat  are  in  like  manner  occupied  by  gardens ;  many 
of  which  are  also  on  terraces,  and  receive  a  portion  of 
the  waters  of  Siloam. 

Below  the  well  of  Nehemiah,  the  Valiev  of  Jeliosh- 
aphat  continues  to  run  S.  S.  W.  between  the  Mount 
of  Offence  and  the  Hill  of  Evil  Counsel,  so  called. 
At  130  feet  is  a  small  cavity  or  outlet  by  which  the  water 
of  the  well  sometimes  runs  off.  At  about  1,200  feet 
or  400  yards  from  the  well,  is  a  place  under  the  west¬ 
ern  hill,  where  in  the  rainy  season  water  flows  out 
as  from  a  fountain.  At  about  1,500  feet  or  500  yards 
below  the  well,  the  valley  bends  off  s.  75°  E.  for 
Vol.  I.  51 


402 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VH 


half  a  mile  or  more ;  and  then  turns  again  more  to  the 
South  and  pursues  its  way  to  the  Dead  Sea.  At  the 
angle  where  it  thus  bends  eastward,  a  small  Wady 
comes  in  from  the  West,  from  behind  the  Hill  of  Evil 
Counsel.  The  width  of  the  main  valley  below  the 
well  as  far  as  to  the  turn,  varies  from  50  to  100  yards ; 
it  is  full  of  olive  and  fig-trees,  and  is  in  most  parts 
ploughed  and  sown  with  grain. — Further  down,  it 
takes  the  name  among  the  Arabs  of  Wady  er-Rahib, 
“Monks’  Valley,”  from  the  convent  of  St.  Saba  situ¬ 
ated  on  it ;  and  still  nearer  to  the  Dead  Sea  it  is  also 
called  Wady  en-Nar,  “Fire  Valley.” 

The  channel  of  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  the 
Brook  Kidron  of  the  Scriptures,  is  nothing  more 
than  the  dry  bed  of  a  wintry  torrent,  bearing  marks 
of  being  occasionally  swept  over  by  a  large  volume  of 
water.  No  stream  flows  here  now  except  during  the 
heavy  rains  of  winter,  when  the  waters  descend  into 
it  from  the  neighbouring  hills.  Yet  even  in  winter 
there  is  no  constant  flow ;  and  our  friends,  who  had 
resided  several  years  in  the  city,  had  never  seen  a 
stream  running  through  the  valley.  Nor  is  there  any 
evidence,  that  there  was  anciently  more  water  in  it 
than  at  present.  Like  the  Wadys  of  the  desert,  the 
valley  probably  served  of  old,  as  now,  only  to  drain 
off  the  waters  of  the  rainy  season. 

Valley  of  Hinnorn.  This  valley  is  so  called  in  the 
Old  Testament;  though  more  commonly  in  the  fuller 
form,  Valley  of  the  Son  of  Hinnorn.1  The  Arabian 
writer  Edrisi  in  the  twelfth  century  apparently  in¬ 
cludes  the  lower  part  of  it  under  the  name  Wady 
Jehennam ;  and  this  is  the  usual  name  for  the  whole 

1)  d3rt  '■'£  Josh.  xv.  8.  d’srt  ■'a  ponding  English  forms  Gehinnom, 
Jer.  xix.  2,  6.  Hence  are  derived  Gehenna. 
the  Greek  retwa,  and  the  corres- 


Sec.  VIL] 


VALLEY  OF  HINNOM. 


403 


Wady  among  the  Arabs  at  the  present  day.1  Its  com¬ 
mencement,  as  we  have  seen,  is  in  the  broad  sloping 
basin  on  the  West  of  the  city,  South  of  the  Yafa  road, 
extending  up  nearly  to  the  brow  of  the  great  Wady 
on  the  West.  The  large  reservoir,  commonly  called 
the  Upper  Pool,  or  Gihon,  may  be  regarded  as  a  sort 
of  central  point  in  this  basin ;  from  which  the  land 
slopes  upwards  by  a  gentle  acclivity  on  every  side  ex¬ 
cept  the  East.  On  this  side  the  ground  descends  to¬ 
wards  the  Yafa  Gate,  forming  a  broad  hollow  or  val¬ 
ley  between  the  two  swells  on  the  N.  and  S.  This 
part  might  perhaps  not  improperly  be  termed  the 
Valley  of  Gihon ;  though  the  name  Gihon  in  Scripture 
is  applied  only  to  a  fountain. 

From  the  eastern  side  of  the  said  Upper  Pool  the 
course  of  the  valley  is  S.  51°  E.  for  the  distance  of 
1900  feet,  to  the  bend  opposite  the  Yafa  Gate.  The 
valley  is  here  from  50  to  100  yards  in  width.  The 
bottom  is  everywhere  thickly  covered  with  small 
stones ;  but  is  nevertheless  sown,  and  a  crop  of  lentiles 
was  now  growing  upon  it.  From  this  point  up  to 
the  Yafa  Gate  was  a  distance  of  400  feet,  viz.  100  in 
the  valley,  200  on  the  steep  slope  at  an  angle  of  20°, 
and  100  on  the  level  of  the  Gate  above.  Hence  the 
depth  of  the  valley  is  here  44  feet  below  the  Gate. — 
The  valley  now  descends  on  a  course  S.  10°  W.  for 
2107  feet,  to  the  bend  at  the  S.  W.  corner  of  Zion.  In 
this  distance,  875  feet  brings  us  to  the  aqueduct  as  it 
crosses  the  valley;  at  220  feet  further  is  the  upper  end 
of  the  Lower  Pool,  the  length  of  which  in  the  middle 
is  592  feet ;  and  the  remaining  420  feet  lie  between 
the  pool  and  the  angle  of  the  valley.  In  this  part  the 
valley  continues  about  of  the  same  breadth,  grows 

4 

1)  Edrisi,  p.  345.  ed.  Jaubert.  of  Jehoshaphat.  See  above,  p.  396. 
Other  Arabic  writers,  as  we  have  Note  4. 
seen,  apply  this  name  to  the  Valley 


404 


JERUSALEM. — TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  V1L 


deeper,  is  planted  with  olive  and  other  fruit-trees,  and 
is  in  some  places  tilled. — A  new  course  of  S.  40°  E. 
strikes  the  S.  side  at  the  distance  of  700  feet ;  and 
then  another  of  S.  75°  E.  carries  us  625  feet  further. 
In  this  last,  at  130  feet,  a  path  crosses  the  valley  lead¬ 
ing  up  over  the  hills  towards  Bethlehem ;  and  75  feet 
below  this  road  is  the  point  to  which  we  measured  in 
order  to  determine  the  height  of  Zion ;  which  last  is 
here  154  feet.1 — From  the  end  of  this  course,  the  valley 
runs  due  East,  for  the  space  of  1440  feet.  For  about 
400  feet  of  this  distance,  the  breadth  remains  the  same 
as  above;  and  the  fruit-trees  and  tillage  continue. 
The  southern  hill  is  steep,  rocky,  and  full  of  tombs. 
At  440  feet  the  valley  contracts,  becomes  quite  nar¬ 
row  and  stony,  and  descends  with  much  greater 
rapidity.  Towards  the  end  of  the  course  it  opens 
again,  and  meets  the  gardens  in  the  oblong  plat  where 
it  forms  a  junction  with  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat. 
The  S.  E.  corner  of  Zion  here  runs  down  and  out  in 
a  low  point.  From  the  end  of  the  last  course  to  the 
well  of  Nehemiah,  is  a  distance  of  480  feet,  measured 
on  a  course  S.  30°  E. 

In  these  gardens,  lying  partly  within  the  mouth  of 
Hinnom  and  partly  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  and 
irrigated  by  the  waters  of  Siloam,  Jerome  assigns  the 
place  of  Tophet ;  where  the  Jews  practised  the  horrid 
rites  of  Baal  and  Moloch,  and  “  burned  their  sons  and 
their  daughters  in  the  fire.”2  It  was  probably  in  allu¬ 
sion  to  this  detested  and  abominable  fire,  that  the  later 
Jews  applied  the  name  of  this  valley  (Gehenna),  to 

3)  See  above,  p.  389.  of  Tophet  as  a  pleasant  spot  in  the 

2)  2  Kings  xviii.  10.  Jer.  vii.  32.  Valley  of  Hinnom,  with  trees  and 
Hieron.  Comm,  in  Jer.  vii.  31.  gardens  watered  from  Siloam.  In 
Ejusd.  Comm.  inMatth.  x.  28.  The  the  other,  he  describes  it  in  like 
description  in  the  text  explains  an  manner,  but  as  lying  at  the  foot  of 
apparent  inconsistency  in  the  lan-  Moriah,  near  Siloam.  He  evident- 
guage  of  Jerome  in  the  passages  ly  regarded  Ophel  as  belonging 
here  cited.  In  the  first  he  speaks  to  Moriah. 


Sec.  Vn.] 


MOUNT  OF  OLIVES. 


405 


denote  the  place  of  future  punishment  or  the  fires  of 
hell.  At  least  there  is  no  evidence  of  any  other  fires 
having  been  kept  up  in  the  valley ;  as  has  sometimes 
been  supposed.1 

Mount  of  Olives.  This  mountain,  so  celebrated 
both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  is  called  by  the 
Arabs  Jebel  et-Tur  ;2  and  lies  on  the  East  of  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  from  which  it  is  separated  only  by  the  narrow 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  as  above  described.  It  is  usu¬ 
ally  said  to  have  three  summits ;  the  middle  and  appa¬ 
rently  highest  of  which,  directly  opposite  the  city,  has 
been  falsely  assumed  by  a  very  early  tradition,  as  the 
place  of  our  Lord’s  ascension.3  Towards  the  South  it 
sinks  down  into  a  lower  ridge  overagainst  the  well 
of  Nehemiah,  called  now  by  Franks  the  Mount  of  Of¬ 
fence,  in  allusion  to  the  idolatrous  worship  established 
by  Solomon  “  in  the  hill  that  is  before  [eastward  of] 
Jerusalem.”4  Across  this  part  leads  the  usual  road 
to  Bethany.  Towards  the  North,  at  the  distance  of 
just  about  an  English  mile,  is  another  summit  nearly 
or  quite  as  high  as  the  middle  one.  The  ridge  be¬ 
tween  the  two,  curves  somewhat  eastwards,  leaving 
room  for  the  valley  below  to  expand  a  little  in  this 
part.  The  view  of  Jerusalem  and  of  the  Dead  Sea 
from  the  middle  summit  has  already  been  described. 
That  from  the  northern  one  is  similar.5 


1)  See  Rosenmuller  Biblische 
Geogr.  II.  i.  pp.  156,  164. 

2)  Edrisi  writes  also  Jebel  Zei- 
tun,  i.  e.  Mount  of  Olives ;  p.  344. 
ed.  Jaubert. 

3)  For  the  date  and  character 
of  this  tradition,  see  above,  p.  375. 

The  chapel  founded  originally 
by  Helena,  is  now  in  the  posses¬ 

sion  of  the  Armenians,  who  have 
recently  erected  here  a  new  build¬ 
ing.  See  Euseb.  de  Vit.  Const. 
III.  43. 


4)  1  Kings  xi.  7,  8.  I  have 
been  able  to  find  neither  the  name 
Mons  Offensionis ,  nor  any  allusion 
to  this  spot  as  the  place  of  Solo¬ 
mon’s  idolatry,  earlier  than  the 
time  of  Brocardus,  A.  D.  1283, 
cap.  IX. 

5)  See  Note  XXIV,  at  the  end 
of  the  volume. — Maundrell  re¬ 
gards  the  northern  summit  as  the 
highest  point  of  all ;  which  indeed 
may  very  possibly  be  the  fact. 


406 


JERUSALEM.— TOPOGRAPHY. 


[Sec.  VII. 


The  elevation  of  the  central  peak  of  the  Mount  of 
Olives  above  the  sea  is  given  by  Schubert  at  2556 
Paris  feet,  or  416  Paris  feet  above  the  Valley  of  Je- 
hoshaphat.  Hence  it  appears  to  be  175  Paris  feet 
higher  than  the  highest  point  of  Zion.1  From  the 
Wely  on  the  eastern  point  of  this  summit,  I  was  able 
to  obtain  a  base  extending  in  the  due  magnetic  North 
along  the  ridge  1426  yards.  From  the  Wely  I  took 
the  following  bearings  among  others  : 

Neby  Samwil . N.  40°  W. 

Eastern  Dome  of  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  .  N.  86£°  W. 

Frank  Mountain . S.  9£°  W. 

N.  W.  corner  or  bay  of  Dead  Sea  ....  S.  81°  E. 

The  measurements  taken  from  the  ends  of  the  base, 
give  for  the  distance  of  the  N*.  W.  corner  of  the  Dead 
Sea  from  the  Wely  14.34  geographical  miles;  and  for 
the  distance  of  the  eastern  dome  of  the  Church  of  the 
Sepulchre  from  the  same  point,  1753  yards,  or  a  trifle 
short  of  an  English  mile.  The  former  distance  can  be 
regarded  only  as  an  approximation  ;  the  latter  is 
probably  not  far  from  the  truth.  Bethlehem  is  not 
seen  from  the  Wely  ;  nor  was  Kerak  visible  at  the  time, 
to  my  great  regret,  in  consequence  of  the  hazy  atmo¬ 
sphere.2 

Beyond  the  northern  summit,  the  ridge  of  the  Mount 
of  Olives  sweeps  round  towards  the  West,  and  spreads 
out  into  the  high  level  tract  North  of  the  city,  which 
is  skirted  on  the  West  and  South  by  the  upper  part  of 
the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  The  road  to  Nabulus, 
passing  near  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  crosses  the  val¬ 
ley  and  rises  by  a  somewhat  long  but  not  steep  ascent 
to  this  high  tract,  on  which  lies  the  village  of  Sha’fat 
at  the  left  of  the  road,  about  fifty  minutes  distant  from 

1)  Schubert’s  Reise,  II.  p.  521.  point  the  view  of  the  N.  W.  corner 

2)  My  intention  was  to  have  of  the  Dead  Sea  is  intercepted  by 
assumed  the  other  station  on  the  a  ridge.  See  more  on  this  base  in 
northern  summit;  but  from  that  Vol.  III.  First  Append,  p.  40. 


# 


Sec.  VII.]  HILL  OF  EVIL  COUNSEL.  407 

the  Damascus  Gate.  The  brow  of  the  ascent,  distant 
about  twenty-five  minutes  from  the  same  gate,  presents 
the  interesting  northern  prospect  of  the  city,  which 
has  been  so  celebrated  by  travellers.  It  is  indeed  fine; 
but  a  still  better  point  of  view  is  that  upon  the  other 
road  more  to  the  right,  leading  over  to  ’Anata. — This 
high  level  tract  and  brow  upon  the  Nabulus  road,  is 
without  much  doubt  the  Scopus  of  Josephus,  where 
Cestus  coming  from  Gabaon  (el-Jib),  and  afterwards 
Titus  coming  from  Gophna,  both  encamp,  at  the  dis¬ 
tance  of  seven  stadia  from  Jerusalem ;  and  the  latter 
obtains  his  first  view  of  the  splendid  city  and  its  mag¬ 
nificent  temple.1 

Hill  of  Evil  Counsel.  South  of  Zion,  beyond  the 
Valley  of  Hinnom,  rises  the  Hill  of  Evil  Counsel  so 
called ;  forming  the  steep  southern  side  or  wall  of  that 
valley.  From  the  bottom,  it  rises  in  most  parts  very 
steeply  for  20  or  30  feet,  with  precipitous  ledges  of 
rock,  in  which  are  many  excavated  sepulchres.  Higher 
up,  the  acclivity  is  more  gradual.  The  highest  point 
is  on  the  West,  nearly  South  of  the  S.  W.  part  of 
Zion,  and  a  little  to  the  left  of  the  Bethlehem  road. 
This  is  nearly  or  quite  as  high  as  Zion  itself,  hut  not 
so  steep ;  and  from  it  the  ridge  slopes  down  towards 
the  East  to  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  in  the  same 
manner  as  Zion,  though  not  so  rapidly.  South  of  this 
ridge,  a  small  Wady  has  its  head,  which  runs  down 
eastwards,  and  enters  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  as 
we  have  seen,  500  yards  below  the  well  of  Nehemiah, 
just  where  the  latter  valley  turns  to  the  East.  This 
Wady  is  of  course  parallel  to  that  of  Hinnom;  but  is 
not  half  so  deep.  Still  further  South,  beyond  the 
Wady,  is  another  higher  hill  or  mountain,  which  con¬ 
tinues  towards  the  East  without  sinking  from  its  high 
level,  and  skirts  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  on  the 

1)  Joseph.  B.  J.  II.  19.  4.  V.  2.  3. 


408  JERUSALEM. — TOPOGRAPHY.  [Sec.  VII. 

South,  after  the  latter  has  turned  eastward  on  its 
course  towards  the  Dead  Sea. 

The  summit  overagainst  Zion  affords  a  pleasing 
view  towards  the  S.  W.  down  the  broad  Valley  of 
Rephaim,  which  was  now  almost  covered  with  green 
fields  of  wheat.  Here  are  also  remains  of  buildings 
apparently  of  no  antiquity.  One  in  particular  seemed 
once  to  have  been,  a  small  church,  or  perhaps  a  Mus¬ 
lim  Wely,  or  other  tomb.  The  general  appearance  is 
that  of  the  ruins  of  an  Arab  village  ;  and  such  an  one 
stood  here  two  centuries  ago.1  We  suppose  this  to  be 
the  site  named  by  the  Arabs  Deir  el-Kaddis  Modistus, 
called  also  Deir  Abu  Tor.  These  ruins  the  monks 
dignify  with  the  name  of  the  Villa  or  Country-house 
of  Caiaphas  ;  in  which,  according  to  them,  the  Jews 
took  counsel  to  destroy  Jesus.  Hence  the  present 
appellation  of  the  hill ;  of  which  name  however  there 
is  no  trace  extant,  so  far  as  I  can  find,  earlier  than  the 
latter  part  of  the  fifteenth  century.2  Nor  does  the 
name  seem  to  have  become  very  well  settled;  for 
travellers  vary  considerably  in  respect  to  the  applica¬ 
tion  of  it.3  I  have  here  retained  it  for  want  of  a  better; 
and  because  we  did  not  learn  the  Arabic  name. 


IV.  TOPOGRAPHY  OF  JOSEPHUS. 

Having  thus  gone  through  with  the  topographical 
details  of  the  present  city  and  its  environs,  let  us  now 


cast  a  glance  back  upon 

1)  So  Cotovicus  in  A.  D.  1598 ; 
p.  223.  Doubdan  in  A.  D.  1652  ; 
p.  139. 

2)  Matt.  xxvi.  3,  4.  John  xi. 
47-53.  This  legend  is  apparently 
first  mentioned  by  Felix  Fabri  in 

A.  D.  1483 ;  but  lie  calls  the  hill 
Gyon  (Gihon)  contrary  to  Brocar- 
dus  and  others ;  Reissbuch  des  h. 
Landes,  Ed.  2.  p.  257.  De  Salig- 
nac  in  1522  has  Castrum  Mali  Con - 


the  earliest  historical  ac- 

silii ;  Tom.  X.  c.  2.  Cotovicus 
mentions  both  names,  as  applying 
only  to  the  village  which  he  saw 
on  the  summit,  viz.  Villa  Cai- 
phae ,  and  Vicus  Mali  Consilii ; 
p.  223.  Quaresmius  has  Mons 
Mali  Consilii ;  Elucid.  II.  p.  177. 

3)  Zuallardo,  A.  D.  1586,  makes 
this  the  Mount  of  Offence;  Viag- 
giodi  Gierusalemme,p.  136.  Roma 
1595. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOPOGRAPHY  OF  JOSEPHUS. 


409 


counts,  and  see  how  far  the  notices  they  contain  of  the 
topography  of  the  city  as  it  then  was,  correspond  to  its 
present  state ;  and  whether  they  serve  to  identify,  in 
any  degree,  the  site  of  ancient  Jerusalem  with  that  of 
the  modern  city,  upon  which  its  name  and  history 
haA^e  descended  as  by  inheritance.  The  Scriptures 
furnish  us,  in  this  respect,  with  only  scattered  notices ; 
which,  although  strongly  illustrating  occasional  facts, 
cannot  he  combined  into  a  uniform  Avhole.  But  in 
Josephus,  the  historian  of  his  nation,  Avho  brings  down 
his  account  to  the  terrible  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
under  Titus,  we  have  a  tolerably  full  description  of 
the  city,  as  it  was  in  his  day.  Having  sketched  the 
progress  of  the  Roman  conqueror  in  his  advance  to  the 
very  gates,  and  recounted  his  dispositions  for  the  siege, 
this  writer  stops  short  in  his  narration,  in  order  to  lay 
before  his  readers  a  topographical  sketch  of  the  city  and 
temple,  as  they  then  existed,  before  the  tremendous 
overthrow  to  which  they  were  so  soon  subjected.  This 
account  is  to  us  invaluable  ;  and  could  not  be  supplied 
from  any  or  all  other  sources. 

According  to  Josephus,1  Jerusalem  AAras  enclosed 
by  a  triple  wall,  wherever  it  was  not  encircled  by  im¬ 
passable  vallies ;  for  here  it  had  but  a  single  wall. 
The  ancient  city  lay  upon  two  hills  overagainst  each 
other,  separated  by  an  intervening  valley,  at  which 
the  houses  terminated.  Of  these  hills,  that  which 
bore  the  upper  city,  was  the  highest,  and  was  straighter 
in  extent.  On  account  of  its  fortifications,  it  Avas 
called  by  King  David  the  Fortress  or  Citadel  f  Jose- 

1)  De  Bell.  Jud.  V.  c.  4.  The  Sara.  v.  7-9. — Josephus  seems  stu- 

description  of  the  temple  follows  in  diously  to  avoid  using  the  name 
c.  5. — The  works  of  this  writer  are  Zion,  which  I  have  not  been  able 
too  common,  both  in  the  original  to  find  in  his  works.  The  writer 
and  in  translations,  to  render  any  of  the  first  Book  of  Maccabees,  on 
thing  more  than  an  abstract  neces-  the  other  hand,  applies  it  to  the 
sary  in  the  text.  site  of  the  temple ;  i.  e.  he  makes 

2)  This  serves  to  identify  it  it  include  Moriah.  1  Macc.  iv.  37, 
with  the  hill  of  Zion ;  comp.  2  GO,  etc. 

Vol.  I.  52 


410 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


phus  calls  it  the  Upper  Market.  The  other  hill,  sus¬ 
taining  the  lower  city,  and  called  Akra,  had  the  form 
of  the  gibbous  moon.1  Overagainst  this  was  a  third 
hill,  naturally  lower  than  Akra,  and  separated  from 
it  by  another  broad  valley.  But  in  the  time  when 
the  Asmonaeans  had  rule,  they  threw  earth  into  this 
valley,  intending  to  connect  the  city  with  the  temple ; 
and  working  upon  Akra,  they  lowered  the  height  of  it, 
so  that  the  temple  rose  conspicuously  above  it.2  The 
Valley  of  the  Tyropoeon  or  Cheesemakers,  as  it  was 
called,  which  has  already  been  mentioned  as  separa¬ 
ting  the  hills  of  the  Upper  and  Lower  City,  extended 
quite  down  to  Siloam, — a  fountain  so  named,  whose 
waters  were  sweet  and  abundant.  From  without,  the 
two  hills  of  the  city  were  enclosed  by  deep  vallies ; 
and  there  was  here  no  approach  because  of  the  pre¬ 
cipices  on  every  side. 

Of  the  walls  of  the  ancient  city,  as  described  by 
Josephus,  it  will  be  sufficient  for  our  present  purpose  to 
give  here  merely  an  outline ;  reserving  a  more  exact 
examination  to  another  place.  The  single  wall, 
which  enclosed  that  part  of  the  city  skirted  by  pre¬ 
cipitous  vallies,  began  at  the  tower  of  Hippicus.3  On 
the  West  it  extended  (southwards)  to  a  place  called 
Bethso  and  the  gate  of  the  Essenes ;  thence  it  kept 
along  on  the  South  to  a  point  over  Siloam ;  and  thence 
on  the  East  was  carried  along  by  Solomon’s  Pool  and 


1)  In  Greek,  af.iqly.vqrnc;.  See 
Reland  Palaest.  p.  852.  But  this 
word  may  also  mean  nothing  more 
than  that  Akra  was  “  sloping  on 
both  sides,”  i.  e.  was  a  ridge  run¬ 
ning  down  into  the  city. 

2)  There  is  some  doubt  as  to 
the  correctness  of  this  account. 
Josephus  elsewhere  connects  this 
lowering  of  the  hill  Akra  with  the 
demolition  of  a  fortress  built  upon 

it  by  Antiochus  and  the  Syrians  ; 
Antiq.  XIII.  6.  6.  Comp.  XII.  5. 4. 


But  the  writer  of  the  first  Book 
of  Maccabees,  an  earlier  authority, 
describes  this  fortress  as  having 
been  in  the  city  of  David,  the  upper 
city  of  Josephus,  on  Mount  Zion  ; 
and  instead  of  having  been  destroy¬ 
ed,  Simon  Maccabeus  strengthened 
it,  and  made  it  his  residence  ;  1 
Macc.  i.  33.  [35.]  xiii.  50,  seq.  xiv. 
36,  37.  See  Crome,  art.  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  p.  281,  seq.  in  Ersch  and  Gru¬ 
ber’s  Encyclopadie. 

3)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  4.  2. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOPOGRAPHY  OF  JOSEPHUS. 


411 


Ophla  (Ophel),  till  it  terminated  at  the  eastern  portico 
of  the  temple.1 — Of  the  triple  walls,  the  following  ac¬ 
count  is  given.  The  first  and  oldest  of  these  began  at 
the  tower  of  Hippie  us,  on  the  northern  part,  and  ex¬ 
tending  (along  the  northern  brow  of  Zion2)  to  the 
Xystus,  afterwards  terminated  at  the  western  portico 
of  the  temple.  The  second  wall  began  at  the  gate  of 
Gennath,  (apparently  near  Hippicus,)  and  encircling 
only  the  northern  part  of  the  city,  extended  to  the 
castle  of  Antonia  at  the  N.  W.  corner  of  the  area  of 
the  temple.3  The  third  wall  was  built  by  Agrippa  at 
a  later  period;  it  also  had  its  beginning  at  the  tower 
of  Hippicus,  ran  northwards  as  far  as  to  the  tower 
Psephinos  ;  and  then  sweeping  round  towards  the  N. 
E.  and  E.  it  turned  afterwards  towards  the  South,  and 
was  joined  to  the  ancient  wall  at  or  in  the  valley  of 
the  Kidron.  This  wall  first  enclosed  the  hill  Bezetha. 

Let  us  now  for  a  moment  search  further  for  some 
notices  which  may  determine  the  relative  position  of 
the  parts  of  the  ancient  city  in  respect  to  each  other. 
We  have  seen  that  the  upper  city  or  citadel  (Zion) 
was  separated  from  the  lower  city  or  Akra  by  the 
Tyropoeon ;  that  the  temple  was  situated  “  overagainst” 
Akra,  and  separated  from  it  by  another  valley  distinct 
from  the  Tyropoeon;  and  that  the  first  of  the  three 
walls  on  the  North  commenced  at  Hippicus,  and  ex¬ 
tending  along  the  brow  of  Zion  to  the  Xystus,  ended 


1)  Josephus,  B.  J.  V.  4.  2.  The 
phrases  nfaq  dvoiv,  7t(j'oq  vorov, 
tzq'oc;  dvar ofojv,  in  this  passage,  as 
applied  to  the  wall,  can  only  mean 
towards  or  on  the  West,  South , 
East ,  etc.  equivalent  to  the  west¬ 
ern ,  southern ,  eastern  wall.  This 
is  shown  both  by  the  nature 
of  the  case,  and  by  the  similar 
phrase  rfj  7ZQbq\  dvato)fv  otou  too 
Lffjov  in  the  same  sentence,  which 
no  one  ever  thought  of  rendering 


otherwise  than  the  eastern  portico 
of  the  temple.  Had  this  form  of 
expression  been  always  so  under¬ 
stood,  it  would  have  saved  great 
confusion  among  commentators, 
both  as  to  the  course  of  the  wall 
and  the  position  of  Siloam.  See 
Reland  Palaest.  p.  858,  and  his 
plan  in  Havercamp’s  Josephus, 
Vol.  II.  p.  327.  1  5 

2)  Ibid.  V.  4.  4. 

3)  Ibid.  V.  5.  8. 


412 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


at  the  western  portico  connected  with  the  temple. 
From  other  passages  we  learn,  that  the  Xystus,  so 
called,  was  an  open  place  in  the  extreme  part  of  the 
upper  city,  where  the  people  sometimes  assembled; 
and  that  a  bridge  connected  it  with  the  temple.1 
During  the  siege  of  the  city  also,  we  are  told,2  that 
Titus  having  become  master  of  the  temple,  held  a 
colloquy  with  the  leaders  of  the  Jews,  who  still  had 
possession  of  the  upper  city.  For  this  purpose  he 
placed  himself  upon  the  western  side  of  the  exterior 
temple  or  court,  where  the  bridge  joined  the  temple  to 
the  upper  city  at  the  Xystus;  and  this  bridge  alone  was 
interposed  between  him  and  the  Jews  with  wdiom  he 
spoke. — Further  we  are  informed,3  that  on  the  western 
side  of  the  temple-area  were  four  gates ;  one  leading 
over  the  valley  to  the  royal  palace  (on  Zion)  adjacent 
to  the  Xystus,4  probably  by  the  bridge  just  mentioned ; 
two  conducting  to  the  suburb  (or  new  city)  on  the 
North ;  and  the  remaining  one  leading  to  the  “  other 
city,”  first  by  steps  down  into  the  intervening  valley, 
and  then  by  an  ascent.  By  this  “  other  city”  can  be 
meant  only  the  lower  city  or  Akra. — The  hill  Bezetha 
lay  quite  near  on  the  North  of  the  temple.5 

During  the  siege  by  the  Romans,  Titus  made  all 
his  approaches  from  the  North  ;  took  first  the  external 
and  second  w  all  upon  that  part ;  and  then  assaulted 
the  fortress  Antonia  and  the  temple,  which  he  cap¬ 
tured  and  destroyed.6  All  this  time  the  Jews  still  held 
possession  of  the  upper  city  ;  of  which  the  northern 
wall  ran  in  part  along  a  precipice,  so  that  the  Romans 
could  not  assail  it  with  their  machines  and  towers.7 

1)  Joseph.  B.  J.  II.  16.3.  VI.  4)  Joseph.  Ant.  XX.  8.  11. 

6.  2.  VI.  8.  1.  Comp.  Antiq.  XIV.  5)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  5.  8. 

4.  2.  6)  Ibid.  V.  7.  2.  V.  8.  1,  2.  VI. 

2)  Ibid.  VI.  6.  2.  1.  7.  VI.  c.  4. 

3)  Joseph.  Ant.  XV.  11.  5.  7)  Ibid.  B.  J.  V.  4.  4.  VI.  8.  4. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOPOGRAPHY  OF  JOSEPHUS. 


413 


To  work  upon  the  fears  of  the  Jews  and  overcome 
their  obstinacy,  the  Romans  now  set  fire  to  Akra, 
Ophla,  and  other  parts  of  the  city,  quite  down  to 
Siloam.1 — Hence  it  follows,  that  the  interior  and  most 
ancient  of  the  three  walls  on  the  North,  lay  between 
Akra  and  the  upper  city  ;  forming  the  defence  of  the 
latter  on  this  part.  It  was,  no  doubt,  the  same  wall 
which  ran  along  the  northern  brow  of  Zion. 

The  main  results  to  be  derived  from  the  preceding 
historical  notices,  so  far  as  they  are  necessary  to  our 
present  purpose,  are  chiefly  the  following.  The  hill 
Moriah,  on  which  the  temple  stood,  was  on  the  eastern 
part  of  the  city,  overlooking  the  Valley  of  the  Kidron.2 
Directly  11  overgainst”  the  temple  on  the  West,  was 
the  hill  Akra,  with  the  lower  city,  to  which  a  gate 
led  from  the  western  side  of  the  temple-area.  This 
hill  was  separated  from  the  temple  by  a  broad  valley, 
which  had  been  partly  filled  up  by  the  Asmonaean 
princes ;  who  also  had  lowered  the  point  of  Akra. 
West  of  the  S.  W.  part  of  the  temple-area,  lay  the 
northern  portion  of  the  upper  city  or  Zion,  with 
the  Xystus,  connected  with  the  temple  by  a  bridge, 
which  led  out  from  the  western  side  of  the  court  of 
the  latter  over  the  intervening  valley.  Zion  therefore 
lay  South  of  Akra ;  and  was  separated  from  it  by 
the  Tyropoeon,  which  extended  also  down  to  Siloam  ; 
and  likewise  by  the  wall  which  ran  from  Hippicus  along 
its  brow,  on  the  North  of  the  Xystus  and  the  bridge, 
to  the  western  portico  of  the  temple.  The  tower  of 
Hippicus  therefore  must  be  sought  at  the  N.  W.  cor¬ 
ner  of  Zion. — On  those  parts  where  the  city  had  but 
a  single  wall,  it  was  skirted  by  vallies  impassable  by 
a  hostile  force.  But  this  single  wall  existed  only  on 
the  western  and  southern  sides  of  Zion,  and  on  the 

1)  Joseph.  B.  J.  VI.  6.  3.  VI.  7.  2.  2)  See  also  Antiq.  XV.  1 1.  3. 


414 


JERUSALEM. — ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


East  along  by  Siloam  and  Ophel  and  the  temple  ;  and 
here  therefore  were  the  deep  vallies.  The  triple  wall 
was  towards  the  North  and  Northwest. 

If  now  we  compare  these  results  with  the  descrip¬ 
tion  which  has  been  given  above  of  the  hills  and  val¬ 
lies  connected  with  the  modern  city, — a  description 
which,  I  am  happy  to  say,  was  written  before  the 
preceding  notices  from  Josephus  were  collected  or 
compared, — I  am  unable  to  perceive  any  other  than 
a  striking  and  almost  exact  coincidence.  True,  the 
valley  of  the  Tyropoeon,  and  that  between  Akra  and 
Moriah,  have  been  greatly  filled  up  with  the  rubbish 
accumulated  from  the  repeated  desolations  of  nearly 
eighteen  centuries.  Yet  they  are  still  distinctly  to  be 
traced ;  the  hills  of  Zion,  Akra,  Moriah,  and  Bezetha, 
are  not  to  be  mistaken ;  while  the  deep  vallies  of  the 
Kidron  and  of  Ilinnom,  and  the  Mount  of  Olives,  are 
permanent  natural  features,  too  prominent  and  gigantic 
indeed  to  be  forgotten,  or  to  undergo  any  perceptible 
change.  The  only  topographical  notice  of  Josephus 
as  to  which  I  have  doubts,  is  the  remark  quoted  above, 
that  “  from  without,  the  two  hills  of  the  city  were 
enclosed  by  deep  vallies.551  If  he  here  means  the  two 
particular  hills  of  Zion  and  Akra,  (as  the  insertion  of 
the  Greek  article  would  seem  to  imply,)  the  language 
is  not  literally  exact ;  but  if,  as  is  more  probable,  this 
is  a  mere  form  of  expression  intended  to  embrace  the 
whole  site  of  the  city,  then  it  presents  no  difficulty. 
Indeed,  after  having  looked  through  the  whole  subject 
and  studied  the  topography  of  modern  Jerusalem  upon 
the  spot,  with  the  volumes  of  Josephus  in  my  hands, 
I  am  not  aware  of  any  particulars,  which  can  excite 
a  doubt  as  to  the  identity  of  the  site  of  the  ancient 
and  modern  cities.  Certainly  there  is  here  no  more 


1)  See  above,  p.  410. 


Sec.  VII.] 


AREA  OF  THE  TEMPLE. 


415 


room  for  question,  than  in  the  parallel  cases  of  Athens 
and  Rome.1 

Thus  far  we  have  had  regard  to  the  general  topo¬ 
graphy  of  the  Holy  City,  and  the  correspondence  of 
its  present  features  with  the  descriptions  of  it  in  an¬ 
cient  times.  We  are  now  further  to  inquire,  whether 
in  particular  parts  of  the  city,  there  remain  any  such 
vestiges  of  antiquity,  as  may  serve  to  add  strength  to 
our  general  conclusion. 


V.  AREA  OF  THE  ANCIENT  TEMPLE. 

The  account  which  Josephus  has  left  us  of  the  Jew¬ 
ish  temple,  with  its  courts  and  walls,  as  they  existed 
in  his  day,  is  in  some  particulars  confused,  and  in 
others  undoubtedly  exaggerated.  He  wrote  at  Rome, 
far  from  his  native  land,  and  long  after  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem ;  nor  is  there  any  evidence  or  proba¬ 
bility,  that  he  had  collected  specific  materials  for  his 
works  in  his  own  country,  previously  to  that  event. 
Hence,  when  he  enters  into  minute  descriptions,  and 
professes  to  give  the  exact  details  and  measurements 
of  heights  and  magnitudes,  there  is  every  reason  to  dis¬ 
trust  the  accuracy  of  his  assertions ;  except  perhaps 
in  tilings  of  public  notoriety, — such,  for  example,  as 
the  distances  between  places  situated  on  the  great 
roads.  But  in  cases  where  he  describes  in  specific 
terms  the  length  and  breadth  and  height  of  buildings 
or  the  like, — measures  which  he  himself  had  certainly 
never  taken,  and  which  were  not  likely  to  he  publicly 
known, — we  can  regard  these  only  as  matters  of  esti¬ 
mate  or  conjecture,  on  the  part  of  an  author  writing 
far  remote  from  the  objects  described,  and  prone,  from 
national  vanity  as  well  as  from  his  peculiar  position, 

1)  For  the  theories  of  Clarke  Akra,  see  Note  XXV,  at  the  end 
and  Olshausen  respecting  Zion  and  of  the  volume. 


416 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


to  amplify  and  embellish  all  those  particulars,  which 
might  in  any  way  contribute  to  the  honour  of  his  peo¬ 
ple,  or  to  the  glory  of  his  subsequent  protectors. 

Josephus  has  left  us  two  descriptions  of  the  temple 
and  its  appendages  ;  one  in  his  Antiquities,  where  he 
narrates  the  reconstruction  of  the  JVaos  or  body  of  the 
temple  by  Herod  the  Great ;  and  the  other  in  his  Jew¬ 
ish  Wars,  just  before  the  account  of  its  destruction  by 
Titus.1  The  latter  is  the  most  minute  and  consistent ; 
and  I  therefore  follow  it  here,  introducing  only  occa- 
sional  circumstances  from  the  other. 

The  temple,  according  to  this  account,  stood  upon 
a  rocky  eminence  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  city,  on 
which  at  first  there  was  scarcely  level  space  enough 
for  the  fane  and  altar;  the  sides  being  everywhere 
steep  and  precipitous.  Solomon  built  first  a  wall 
around  the  summit ;  (probably  in  order  to  gain  space 
for  the  body  of  the  temple;)  and  built  up  also  a  wall 
on  the  East,  filled  in  on  the  inside  apparently  with 
earth,  on  which  he  erected  a  portico  or  covered  colon¬ 
nade.  The  temple  itself  was  thus  left  naked  on  three 
sides.  In  process  of  time,  however,  the  whole  enclo¬ 
sure  was  built  up  and  filled  in,  quite  to  a  level  with 
the  hill,  which  in  this  way  was  enlarged ;  a  threefold 
wall  being  carried  up  from  the  bottom,  and  thus  both 
the  upper  enclosure  and  the  lower  [parts  of  the]  tem¬ 
ple  constructed.2  Where  these  last  were  the  lowest, 
they  built  up  three  hundred  cubits ;  and  in  some  places 
more.3  Nor  yet  was  the  whole  depth  of  the  founda- 


1)  Antiq.XV.  11.  3,seq.  B.J.V. 

5.  1 — 6  Comp.  Antiq.  VIII.  3.  9. 

2)  The  word  rni/rj ,  threefold , 
used  here  in  connection  with  walls 
built  up  from  the  bottom  of  the 
hill,  cannot  well  refer  to  any  thing 
else  than  the  three  loalls  built  up 
on  the  three  sides  of  the  hill,  which 
are  said  to  have  been  left  open  by 

Solomon.  If  this  form  of  expres¬ 


sion  is  not  very  exact,  neither  is 
that  which  is  indicated  by  y.v/lw 
(circle)  in  the  same  connection ; 
for  there  is  abundant  evidence,  that 
the  enclosure  was  not  a  circle,  but 
a  quadrangle. 

3)  So  I  must  venture  to  under¬ 
stand  the  tovtou  to  TannvoTaTov 
of  the  original,  in  connection  with 
the  to  xaro)  leQov  before  it ;  mean- 


Sec.  VII.]  THE  TEMPLE  ACCORDING  TO  JOSEPHUS.  417 

tions  visible ;  for  to  a  great  extent  they  filled  in  the 
vallies  with  earth,  desiring  to  level  off  the  abrupt 
places  of  the  city.  In  the  construction  of  this  work, 
they  used  stones  of  the  size  of  forty  cubits.  These 
stones,  (according  to  the  other  account,)  were  bound 
together  with  lead  and  iron  into  a  compact  mass,  im¬ 
moveable  for  all  time.  The  enclosure  thus  construct¬ 
ed  was  a  quadrangle,  measuring  one  stadium  on  each 
side,  or  four  stadia  in  circumference.  In  another  place 
the  circumference,  including  the  fortress  Antonia,  is 
given  at  six  stadia.1 

The  interior  of  this  enclosure  was  surrounded  by 
porticos  or  covered  colonnades  along  the  walls ;  and 
the  open  part  was  laid  or  paved  with  variegated  stones.2 
This  was  a  great  place  of  resort  for  Jews  and  strangers ; 
and  became  at  length  also  a  place  of  trade  and  busi¬ 
ness.3  It  is  sometimes  called  by  Christian  writers  the 
Court  of  the  Gentiles.4 — Near  the  middle  of  this  court, 
an  ornamented  wall  or  balustrade  of  stone,  three  cubits 
high,  formed  the  boundary  of  a  smaller  enclosure ; 
which  neither  foreigners  nor  the  unclean  might  pass. 
Within  this  an  inner  wall,  forty  cubits  high  from  its 
foundation,  surrounded  the  second  or  inner  court ;  but 
it  was  encompassed  on  the  outside  by  fourteen  steps, 
leading  up  to  a  level  area  around  it  of  ten  cubits  wide ; 
from  which  again  five  other  steps  led  up  to  the  interior. 
This  wall  on  the  inside  was  twenty  cubits  high.  The 
principal  gate  of  this  second  court  was  on  the  East ; 
and  there  were  also  three  upon  the  northern  side,  and 
three  upon  the  South.  To  these  were  afterwards 


ing,  not  the  part  where  the  top  of  other  sense,  it  is  perfectly  unintel- 
these  walls  was  lowest,  but  the  ligible. 

; part  where  the  foundations ,  or  the  1)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  5.  2. 

ground  on  which  they  stood ,  was  2)  Ibid.  V.  5.  2. 

lowest.  Taken  in  this  sense,  the  ex-  3)  Matt.  xxi.  12.  Luke  xix.  45. 

pression  is  not  unnatural ;  though  4)  Lightfoot  Opera,  Tom.  I. 

still  greatly  exaggerated.  In  the  pp.  415,  590. 

Vol.  I.  53 


418 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


added  three  others  for  the  women,  one  upon  the  North, 
South  and  East.  On  the  West  there  was  no  gate.1 

Within  this  second  court,  was  still  the  third  or  most 
sacred  enclosure,  which  none  but  the  priests  might 
enter ;  consisting  of  the  JVaos  or  temple  itself,  and  the 
small  court  before  it,  where  stood  the  altar.  To  this 
there  was  an  ascent  from  the  second  court  by  twelve 
steps.2  It  was  this  JVaos ,  or  the  body  of  the  temple 
alone,  which  was  rebuilt  by  Herod ;  who  also  built  over 
again  some  of  the  magnificent  porticos  around  the  area. 
But  no  mention  is  made  of  his  having  had  any  thing 
to  do  with  the  massive  walls  of  the  exterior  enclosure.3 
We  have  already  seen,  that  on  the  West  side  of  this 
great  outer  court,  four  gates  led  out  into  the  city ;  the 
southernmost  of  which  opened  upon  the  bridge  con¬ 
necting  the  area  of  the  temple  with  the  Xystus  on 
Mount  Zion.  Josephus  relates  also,  that  there  was  a 
gate  in  the  middle  of  the  southern  side  of  the  same 
enclosure.4 

Further  than  this,  our  present  object  does  not  re¬ 
quire  us  to  enter  into  a  description  of  the  temple  or 
its  appurtenances. 

If  now,  with  these  accounts  before  us,  we  turn  our 
eyes  upon  the  present  similar  area  of  the  grand  mosk  of 
Omar,  it  would  seem  to  be  hardly  a  matter  of  ques¬ 
tion,  that  the  latter  occupies  in  part  or  in  whole  the 
same  general  location.  But  how  far  there  exist  traces 
which  may  serve  to  mark  a  connection  between  the 
ancient  and  modern  precincts,  or  perhaps  establish 
their  identity,  is  a  point  which,  so  far  as  I  know,  has 


1)  Antiq.  XV.  11.  5.  B.  J.  V. 
5.  2. 

2)  Antiq.  XV.  11.  5,  ult.  B.  J.  V. 
5.  4. 

3)  Antiq.  XV.  11.  3.  B.  J.  I.  21. 

1.  When  Josephus  here  says  that 
Herod  enlarged  the  area  around 


the  temple  to  double  its  former 
size,  he  probably  refers  to  the  ad¬ 
jacent  fortress  Antonia,  as  men¬ 
tioned  above  at  the  close  of  the 
preceding  paragraph. 

4)  See  above,  pp.  412,  413.  Jos. 
Ant.  XV.  11.  5. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TEMPLE-AREA.  EL-HARAM. 


419 


never  been  discussed.  It  is  to  this  point  mainly,  that 
our  inquiries  will  now  be  directed. 

The  area  of  the  great  mosk  is  an  elevated  plateau 
or  terrace,  nearly  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram, 
supported  by  and  within  massive  walls  built  up  from 
the  vallies  or  lower  ground  on  all  sides ;  the  external 
height  varying  of  course  in  various  parts  according  to 
the  nature  of  the  ground,  but  being  in  general  greatest 
towards  the  South.  The  area  or  court  within  these 
walls  is  level ;  exhibiting  on  the  North  of  the  mosk, 
as  we  have  seen,  and  probably  around  the  same,  the 
surface  of  the  native  rock  levelled  off  by  art.1  The 
general  construction  therefore  of  this  area,  does  not 
differ  from  that  of  the  ancient  temple. 

The  length  of  this  enclosure  on  the  East  side, 
measured  externally  along  the  wall,  is  1,528  English 
feet  or  nearly  510  yards ;  the  breadth  at  the  S.  end  is 
955  feet  or  about  318  yards.2  Neither  the  western 
side  nor  the  northern  end  is  accessible  externally ; 
yet  the  latter  may  be  measured  approximately  along 
the  parallel  street.  Its  length  is  thus  found  to  be  not 
far  from  1,060  feet,  or  perhaps  350  yards;  the  breadth 
of  the  area  being  here  some  yards  greater  than  on 
the  South.  The  direction  of  the  eastern  side,  taken 
from  the  S.  E.  corner,  is  due  North  by  compass ;  and 
that  of  the  southern  side,  due  West.  The  course  of 
the  western  wall  at  its  S.  end  is  likewise  due  North. 
Beyond  the  area  towards  the  North,  the  eastern  wall 
of  the  city  deviates  slightly  from  the  magnetic  meri¬ 
dian  towards  the  East. — From  these  measurements  it 
is  apparent,  that  the  extent  of  the  present  area  is  much 
greater  than  that  assigned  by  Josephus  to  the  ancient 
one. 

1)  See  above,  p.  361.  Paris  feet ;  and  the  interior 

2)  Ali  Bey  gives  the  interior  breadth  at  845  Paris  feet.  Trav- 
length  of  the  enclosure  at  1,369  els  II.  p.  215. 


420 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


The  S.  E.  corner  of  the  enclosure  stands  directly 
on  the  very  brink  of  the  steep  descent,  and  impends 
over  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat;  which,  as  we  have 
seen,  is  at  this  point  about  130  feet  deep  ;  while  just 
North  the  ground  rises  some  20  feet  more.  The  height 
of  the  wall  at  this  angle  we  judged  to  be  at  least  60 
English  feet.1  Further  North  as  the  ground  ascends, 
the  wall  is  less  elevated  above  it.  The  brow  of  the 
valley  also  advances  a  little,  leaving  a  narrow  strip 
of  level  ground  along  the  wall,  which  is  occupied  by 
the  Muslim  cemetery  already  mentioned.2  Towards 
the  Gate  of  St.  Stephen,  this  level  brow  widens  to 
about  100  feet,  and  continues  of  this  breadth  along 
the  city-wall  northwards.  The  Golden  Gate  on  this 
side  is  not  opposite  the  middle  of  the  area ;  but  at 
some  distance  further  North. 

On  the  northern  side,  the  area  is  skirted  for  nearlv 

'  •/ 

half  its  breadth  by  the  deep  pool  or  trench  usually 
called  Bethesda,  and  vaults  connected  with  it.  At  the 
N.  E.  corner  is  a  place  of  entrance,  and  a  way  leading 
to  it  from  St.  Stephen’s  Gate  along  the  city-wall. 
Further  West  and  near  the  middle,  are  two  other  en¬ 
trances  from  the  Via  doloi'osa.  At  the  N.  W.  corner 
stands  what  was  formerly  the  governor’s  house,  now 
converted  into  a  barrack,  and  probably  occupying  in 
part  the  site  of  the  ancient  fortress  Antonia.  From 
the  roof  of  this  building  is  obtained  a  commanding 
view  of  the  interior  and  the  edifices  of  the  court.3 

The  western  wall  is  mostly  hidden  by  the  houses 
of  the  city,  except  near  its  southern  end.  -There  are 

1)  There  are  here  fifteen  cour-  The  actual  height  is  sixty  feet  to 
ses  of  very  large  stones,  having  an  the  level  of  the  area  within,  and 
average  thickness  of  more  than  sixteen  feet  more  to  the  top  of  the 
three  feet.  Above  these  to  the  top  battlements ;  in  all  76  feet, 
is  at  least  fifteen  feet  more. — The  2)  See  above,  p.  343. 

wall,  I  since  learn,  was  measured  3)  See  above,  p.  361. 

at  this  point  by  Mr.  Catherwood. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TEMPLE-AREA.  EL-HARAM. 


421 


on  this  side  four  entrances,  to  which  streets  lead 
down  from  the  city.  These  streets,  after  crossing  the 
hollow  or  valley  which  here  runs  parallel  to  the  wall, 
lead  up  an  ascent  to  the  places  of  entrance  ;  some  of 
which  are  reached  by  steps.  Near  the  N.  W.  corner, 
this  ascent  is  of  course  smaller  than  it  is  further  South. 
Near  the  S.  W.  corner,  the  wall  is  again  exposed,  and 
is  not  less  than  about  sixty  feet  in  height. 

The  wall  on  the  South  is  the  highest  of  all ;  for 
here  the  ground  appears  originally  to  have  sloped 
down  more  rapidly  from  the  top  of  Moriah  than  in  any 
other  part.  This  wall  was  apparently  built,  not  on 
the  brow  of  a  valley,  but  on  the  side  of  a  declivity, 
which  descended  steeply  for  a  time,  and  then  ran  off 
in  a  more  gradual  slope,  forming  the  ridge  of  Ophel. 
Here  we  judged  the  wall  of  the  enclosure  to  be  in 
general  about  sixty  feet  in  height.1  At  the  distance 
of  290  feet  S.  of  this  wall,  the  city-wall  runs  for  a 
time  parallel  to  it ;  then,  turning  at  a  right  angle,  the 
city-wall  rises  by  a  considerable  ascent,  and  joins  the 
high  wall  of  the  area,  in  the  manner  already  described, 
at  a  point  325  feet  distant  from  the  S.  W.  corner. 
This  leaves  here  a  tolerably  level  plat  of  ground  be¬ 
tween  the  two  walls,,  nearly  square,  said  to  belong  to 
the  mosk  el-Aksa.  It  was  now  a  ploughed  field.2 
Here  however  the  earth  has  evidently  been  filled  in, 
in  order  to  render  the  plat  level ;  for  the  city-wall  on 
the  South,  which  within  is  very  low,  measures  on  the 
outside  fifty  feet  in  height.  This  gives  110  feet  for 
the  proximate  elevation  of  the  southern  wall  of  the  area 
of  the  mosk  above  the  exterior  base  of  the  parallel 
city-wall. — On  this  side,  viewed  externally,  there 

1)  There  are  here  eight  corn*-  each  apparently  from  1  foot  to  l£ 
ees  of  stones  having  an  average  feet  thick, 
thickness  of  at  least  3  feet ;  and  2)  See  above,  p.  351. 
above  these  are  24  smaller  courses, 


422 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


would  seem  never  to  have  been  a  place  of  entrance  or 
access  to  the  court  above.  Yet  Josephus  makes  men¬ 
tion  here  of  a  gate  in  the  middle  of  the  southern  side 
of  the  area ;  and  we  shall  hereafter  see,  that  an  an¬ 
cient  subterranean  gateway  still  exists  under  the  mosk 
el-Aksa,  with  a  passage  to  it  from  above,  but  walled 
up  on  the  outside.1 

Allusion  has  already  been  made  to  the  immense 
size  of  the  stones,  which  compose  in  part  the  external 
walls  of  the  enclosure  of  the  mosk.2  The  upper  part 
of  these  walls  is  obviously  of  modern  origin ;  but  to  the 
most  casual  observer  it  cannot  be  less  obvious,  that 
these  huge  blocks  which  appear  only  in  portions  of 
the  lower  part,  are  to  be  referred  to  an  earlier  date.3 
The  appearance  of  the  walls  in  almost  every  part, 
seems  to  indicate  that  they  have  been  built  up  on  an¬ 
cient  foundations ;  as  if  an  ancient  aijd  far  more  mas- 
sive  wall  had  been  thrown  down,  and  in  later  times  a 
new  one  erected  upon  its  remains.  Hence  the  line 
between  these  lower  antique  portions  and  the  modern 
ones  above  them,  is  very  irregular ;  though  it  is  also 
very  distinct.  The  former,  in  some  parts,  are  much 
higher  than  in  others ;  and  occasionally  the  breaches 
in  them  are  filled  out  with  later  patch-work.  Some¬ 
times  too  the  whole  wall  is  modern. 

We  first  noticed  these  large  stones  at  the  S.  E. 
corner  of  the  enclosure ;  where  perhaps  they  are  as 
conspicuous,  and  form  as  great  a  portion  of  the  wall, 
as  in  any  part.  Here  are  several  courses,  both  on  the 
East  and  South  sides,  alternating  with  each  other,  in 
which  the  stones  measure  from  17  to  19  feet  in  length, 
by  3  or  4  feet  in  height ;  while  one  block  at  the  cor¬ 
ner  is  feet  thick.  Here  also,  on  the  East  side,  the 

4 

1)  Joseph.  Antiq.  XV.  11.5.  of  many  travellers,  judging  merely 

2)  See  above,  pp.  343,  351.  from  the  aspect  of  the  stones.  See 

3)  Such  has  been  the  conviction  Raumer’s  Palastina,  p.  290.  Ed.  8. 


Sec.  VII.]  TEMPLE-AREA.  BEVELLED  STONES. 


423 


lower  part  is  patched  in  spots.  Further  to  the  North, 
all  is  new  until  towards  the  N.  E.  corner  of  the  area, 
where  the  ancient  stones  again  appear ;  one  of  them 
measuring  24  feet  in  length,  by  3  feet  in  height  and 
6  feet  in  breadth. — On  the  northern  and  western  sides, 
the  walls  are  less  accessible,  until  we  reach  the  Jew¬ 
ish  place  of  wailing,  considerably  S.  of  the  middle  of 
the  latter.  Here  the  stones  are  of  the  same  dimensions, 
and  the  wall  of  the  same  character,  as  in  the  parts 
already  described.1 — At  the  S.  W.  corner,  huge  blocks 
become  again  conspicuous  for  some  distance  on  each 
side,  and  of  a  still  greater  size.  The  corner  stone  on 
the  West  side  now  next  above  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  measures  30  feet  10  inches  in  length  by  6^  feet 
broad ;  and  several  others  vary  from  20J  to  24^  feet 
long,  by  5  feet  in  thickness. 

It  is  not  however  the  great  size  of  these  stones 

* 

alone  which  arrests  the  attention  of  the  beholder ;  but 
the  manner  in  which  they  are  hewn,  gives  them  also 
a  peculiar  character.  In  common  parlance  they  are 
said  to  be  bevelled ;  which  here  means,  that  after  the 
whole  face  has  first  been  hewn  and  squared,  a  narrow 
strip  along  the  edges  is  cut  down  a  quarter  or  half  an 
inch  lower  than  the  rest  of  the  surface.  When  these 
bevelled  stones  are  laid  up  in  a  wall,  the  face  of  it  of 
course  exhibits  lines  or  grooves  formed  by  these  de¬ 
pressed  edges  at  their  junction,  marking  more  dis¬ 
tinctly  the  elevation  of  the  different  courses,  as  well  as 
the  length  of  the  stones  of  which  they  are  composed. 
The  face  of  the  wall  has  then  the  appearance  of  many 
pannels.  The  smaller  stones  in  other  parts  of  the 


1)  I  learn  from  Mr.  Catherwood, 
who  examined  and  measured  the 
area  and  buildings  of  the  Haram, 
both  within  and  without,  very  mi¬ 
nutely  in  1833,  that  the  western 
wall  as  seen  from  the  courts  in  the 


rear  of  the  houses  north  of  the 
Jews’  place  of  wailing,  consists  of 
large  ancient  stones  of  the  same 
character  as  those  above  describ¬ 
ed,  to  the  height  of  thirty  feet  or 
more. 


424 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VIL 


walls  are  frequently  bevelled  in  like  manner ;  except 
that  in  these,  only  the  bevel  or  strip  along  the  edge  is 
cut  smooth,  while  the  remainder  of  the  surface  is 
merely  broken  off  or  rough-hewn.  In  the  upper  parts 
of  the  wall,  which  are  obviously  the  most  modern,  the 
stones  are  small  and  are  not  bevelled. 

At  the  first  view  of  these  walls,  I  was  led  to  the 
persuasion,  that  the  lower  portions  had  belonged  to 
the  ancient  temple ;  and  every  subsequent  visit  only 
served  to  strengthen  this  conviction.  The  size  of  the 
stones  and  the  heterogeneous  character  of  the  walls, 
render  it  a  matter  beyond  all  doubt,  that  the  former 
were  never  laid  in  their  present  places  by  the  Muham- 
medans ;  and  the  peculiar  form  in  which  they  are 
hewn,  does  not  properly  belong,  so  far  as  I  know, 
either  to  Saracenic  or  to  Roman  architecture.1  In¬ 
deed,  every  thing  seems  to  point  to  a  Jewish  origin ; 
and  a  discovery  which  we  made  in  the  course  of  our 
examination,  reduces  this  hypothesis  to  an  absolute 
certainty. 

I  have  already  related  in  the  preceding  section, 
that  during  our  first  visit  to  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the 
area  of  the  mosk,  we  observed  several  of  the  large 
stones  jutting  out  from  the  western  wall,  which  at 
first  sight  seemed  to  be  the  effect  of  a  bursting  of  the 
wall  from  some  mighty  shock  or  earthquake.2  We 
paid  little  regard  to  this  at  the  moment,  our  attention 
being  engrossed  by  other  objects;  but  on  mentioning 
the  fact  not  long  after  in  a  circle  of  our  friends,  we 
found  that  they  also  had  noticed  it ;  and  the  remark 
was  incidentally  dropped,  that  the  stones  had  the  ap- 

1)  Something  of  a  similar  kind  giving  to  the  whole  a  different  and 
is  indeed  found  in  the  later  Roman  more  rustic  character.  See  Hirt’s 
architecture,  under  the  later  empe-  Baukunst  nach  den  Grundsatzen 
rors.  But  the  edges  of  the  stones  der  Alten,  Berl.  1809.  fol.  p.  152, 
are  there  usually  merely  slanted  und  PI.  XXXI. 
off,  or  else  the  surface  is  left  rough ;  2)  See  above,  p.  351. 


Sec.  VII.]  TEMPLE-AREA.  ARCH  OF  BRIDGE.  425 

pearance  of  having  once  belonged  to  a  large  arch.  At 
this  remark  a  train  of  thought  flashed  upon  my  mind, 
which  I  hardly  dared  to  follow  out,  until  I  had  again 
repaired  to  the  spot,  in  order  to  satisfy  myself  with 
my  own  eyes,  as  to  the  truth  or  falsehood  of  the  sug¬ 
gestion.  I  found  it  even  so !  The  courses  of  these 
immense  stones,  which  seemed  at  first  to  have  sprung 
out  from  their  places  in  the  wall  in  consequence  of 
some  enormous  violence,  occupy  nevertheless  their 
original  position ;  their  external  surface  is  hewn  to  a 
regular  curve ;  and  being  fitted  one  upon  another,  they 
form  the  commencement  or  foot  of  an  immense  arch, 
which  once  sprung  out  from  this  western  wall  in  a 
direction  towards  Mount  Zion,  across  the  Valley  of 
the  Tyropoeon.  This  arch  could  only  have  belonged 
to  the  Bridge,  which  according  to  Josephus  led  from 
this  part  of  the  temple  to  the  Xystus  on  Zion ;  and  it 
proves  incontestably  the  antiquity  of  that  portion  of 
the  wall  from  which  it  springs. 

The  traces  of  this  arch  are  too  distinct  and  definite 
to  he  mistaken.  Its  southern  side  is  thirty-nine  Eng¬ 
lish  feet  distant  from  the  S.  W.  corner  of  the  area,  and 
the  arch  itself  measures  fifty-one  feet  along  the  wall. 
Three  courses  of  its  stones  still  remain;  of  which  one 
is  five  feet  four  inches  thick,  and  the  others  not  much 
less.  One  of  the  stones  is  20 \  feet  long  ;  another  24^ 
feet ;  and  the  rest  in  like  proportion.  The  part  of  the 
curve  or  arc,  which  remains,  is  of  course  but  a  frag¬ 
ment;  but  of  this  fragment  the  chord  measures  twelve 
feet  six  inches;  the  sine  eleven  feet  ten  inches ;  and  the 
cosine  three  feet  ten  inches. — The  distance  from  this 
point  across  the  valley  to  the  precipitous  natural  rock 
of  Zion,  we  measured  as  exactly  as  the  intervening 
field  of  prickly-pear  would  permit ;  and  found  it  to  be 
350  feet  or  about  116  yards.  This  gives  the  proxi¬ 
mate  length  of  the  ancient  bridge.  We  sought  carefully 
Vol.  I.  54 


426 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


along  the  brow  of  Zion  for  traces  of  its  western  ter¬ 
mination  ;  but  without  success.  That  quarter  is  now 
covered  with  mean  houses  and  filth;  and  an  examina¬ 
tion  can  he  carried  on  only  in  the  midst  of  disgusting 
sights  and  smells. 

The  existence  of  these  remains  of  the  ancient  bridge, 
seems  to  remove  all  doubt  as  to  the  identity  of  this 
part  of  the  enclosure  of  the  mosk  with  that  of  the  an¬ 
cient  temple.  How  they  can  have  remained  for  so 
many  ages  unseen  or  unnoticed  by  any  writer  or  tra¬ 
veller,  is  a  problem,  which  I  would  not  undertake 
fully  to  solve.  One  cause  has  probably  been  the 
general  oblivion,  or  want  of  knowledge,  that  any  such 
bridge  ever  existed.  It  is  mentioned  by  no  writer  but 
Josephus ;  and  even  by  him  only  incidentally,  though 
in  five  different  places.1  The  bridge  was  doubtless 
broken  down  in  the  general  destruction  of  the  city ; 
and  was  in  later  ages  forgotten  by  the  Christian  popu¬ 
lation,  among  whom  the  writings  of  Josephus  were 
little  known.  For  a  like  reason,  we  may  suppose  its 
remains  to  have  escaped  the  notice  of  the  crusaders 
and  the  pilgrims  of  the  following  centuries.  Another 
cause  which  has  operated  in  the  case  of  later  travel¬ 
lers,  is  probably  the  fact,  that  the  spot  is  approached 
only  through  narrow  and  crooked  lanes,  in  a  part  of 
the  city  whither  their  monastic  guides  did  not  care  to 
accompany  them ;  and  which  they  themselves  could  not 
well,  nor  perhaps  safely,  explore  alone.  Or  if  any 
have  penetrated  to  the  place,  and  perhaps  noticed 
these  large  stones  springing  from  the  wall,  they  have 
probably  (as  I  did  at  first)  regarded  their  appearance 

1)  Antiq.  XIV.  4.  2.  B.  J.  I.  7.  it  existed  in  the  time  of  Pompey 
2.  II.  16.  3.  VI.  6.  2.  VI.  8.  1. —  about  63  B.  C.  (Antiq.  1.  c.)  it  was 
There  is  no  mention  of  the  time  probably  ancient.  At  any  rate  it 
when,  nor  of  the  person  by  whom,  could  not  have  been  the  work  of 
the  bridge  was  built.  As  however  Herod. 


Sec.  VII.]  TEMPLE-AREA.  ARCH  OF  BRIDGE.  427 

as  accidental ;  and  have  passed  on  without  further 
examination.1 

Here  then  we  have  indisputable  remains  of  Jewish 
antiquity,  consisting  of  an  important  portion  of  the 
western  wall  of  the  ancient  temple-area.  They  are 
probably  to  be  referred  to  a  period  long  antecedent  to 
the  days  of  Herod ;  for  the  labours  of  this  splendour- 
loving  tyrant  appear  to  have  been  confined  to  the 
body  of  the  temple  and  the  porticos  around  the  court.2 
The  magnitude  of  the  stones  also,  and  the  workman¬ 
ship  as  compared  with  other  remaining  monuments  of 
Herod,  seem  to  point  to  an  earlier  origin.  In  the  ac¬ 
counts  we  have  of  the  destruction  of  the  temple  by  the 
Chaldeans,  and  its  rebuilding  by  Zerubbabel  under 
Darius,  no  mention  is  made  of  these  exterior  walls. 
The  former  temple  was  destroyed  by  fire,  which 
would  not  affect  these  foundations  ;  nor  is  it  proba¬ 
ble  that  a  feeble  colony  of  returning  exiles,  could 
have  accomplished  works  like  these.3  There  seems 
therefore  little  room  for  hesitation  in  referring  them 
back  to  the  days  of  Solomon,  or  rather  of  his  succes¬ 
sors  ;  who,  according  to  Josephus,  built  up  here  im¬ 
mense  walls,  “  immoveable  for  all  time.”4  Ages  upon 
ages  have  since  rolled  away  ;  yet  these  foundations 
still  endure,  and  are  immoveable  as  at  the  beginning. 
Nor  is  there  aught  in  the  present  physical  condition 


1)  Maundrell  must  have  passed 
near  this  spot,  when  he  saw  the 
large  vaults  with  columns  which 
he  describes  as  running  in  on  the 
S.  side  of  Moriah.  Pococke  was 
also  apparently  here,  and  speaks 
of  the  large  stones;  Vol.  II.  p.  15. 
fol. — Since  the  above  was  written, 
I  have  been  informed  by  both 
Messrs  Bonomi  and  Catherwood, 
the  well  known  artists,  that  they 
likewise  remarked  these  large 
stones  in  1833,  and  recognised  in 
them  the  beginning  of  an  immense 


arch.  They  regarded  them  too  as 
probably  among  the  most  ancient 
remains  in  or  around  Jerusalem ; 
but  had  no  suspicion  of  their  histo¬ 
rical  import. 

2)  See  above,  p.  418. 

3)  Ezra  c.  i.  c.  iii.  8  seq.  c.  vi. 
Joseph.  Antiq.  X.  8.  5.  XI.  3.  7.  XI. 
4.  2.  Here  also  it  is  the  va not 
the  itfjov,  which  was  destroyed 
and  afterwards  rebuilt  by  Zerub¬ 
babel. 

4)  Antiq.  XV.  11.  3,  axivrjtovi; 
roj  navxl  /^ovw.  B.  J.  V.  5.  1. 


428 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


of  these  remains,  to  prevent  them  from  continuing  as 
long  as  the  world  shall  last.  It  was  the  temple  of  the 
living  God ;  and,  like  the  everlasting  hills  on  which 
it  stood,  its  foundations  were  laid  “for  all  time.” 

Thus  then  we  have  here  the  western  wall  of  the 
ancient  temple-area  ;  on  which  is  built  up  the  same 
wall  of  the  modern  enclosure,  though  with  far  inferior 
materials  and  workmanship.  The  ancient  southern 
wall  is  at  the  same  time  determined  in  like  manner  ; 
for  at  the  S.  W.  corner  the  lower  stones  towards  the 
South  have  precisely  the  same  character  as  those  on 
the  West;  they  are  laid  in  alternate  courses  with  the 
latter  ;  and  the  whole  corner  is  evidently  one  and  the 
same  original  substruction.  Proceeding  to  the  S.  E. 
corner,  we  find  its  character  to  be  precisely  similar ; 
the  same  immense  stones  as  already  described,1  both 
towards  the  East  and  South,  on  the  brink  of  the  Val¬ 
ley  of  Jehoshaphat;  and  the  line  of  the  southern  wall 
at  this  point  corresponding  with  that  at  the  S.  W. 
corner.  We  have,  then,  the  two  extremities  of  the 
ancient  southern  wall ;  which,  as  Josephus  informs 
us,  extended  from  the  eastern  to  the  western  valley, 
and  could  not  be  prolonged  further.2  Thus  we  are 
led  irresistibly  to  the  conclusion,  that  the  area  of  the 
Jewish  temple  was  identical  on  its  western,  eastern, 
and  southern  sides,  with  the  present  enclosure  of  the 
Haram. 

The  specifications  of  Josephus  in  respect  to  the 
immense  height  of  these  ancient  walls  and  of  the  por¬ 
ticos  which  rose  above  them,  have  occasioned  great 
difficulty  aud  perplexity  to  commentators ;  partly 
because  of  the  undoubted  exaggerations  of  the  writer ; 
and  partly  from  want  of  an  acquaintance  with  the 
nature  of  the  ground.  At  the  S.  W.  corner,  there  can 
be  little  doubt  that  the  ground  has  been  raised  very 

1)  See  above,  p.  422.  2)  Antiq.  XV.  11.  5. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TEMPLE-AREA.  ELEVATION. 


429 


considerably ;  and  not  improbably  future  excavations 
may  yet  lay  bare  stones  of  a  larger  size  than  any 
which  are  now  visible.  But  at  the  S.  E.  corner,  and 
along  the  eastern  and  southern  sides  in  general,  there 
is  little  appearance  of  any  considerable  accumulation 
of  earth  or  rubbish. 

Upon  the  southern  part  of  the  enclosure  internally, 
according  to  Josephus,  aa  broad  portico  ran  along  the 
wall,  supported  by  four  rows  of  columns,  which  divided 
it  into  three  parts,  thus  forming  a  triple  colonnade  or 
portico.  Of  these  the  two  external  parts  were  each 
thirty  feet  wide,  and  the  middle  one  forty-five  feet. 
The  height  of  the  two  external  porticos  was  more 
than  fifty  feet,  while  that  of  the  middle  one  was  double, 
or  more  than  a  hundred  feet.  The  length  was  a  sta¬ 
dium,  extendifig  from  valley  to  valley.  Such  was  the 
elevation  of  the  middle  portico  above  the  adjacent 
valley,  that  if  from  its  roof  one  attempted  to  look 
down  into  the  gulf  below,  his  eyes  became  dark  and 
dizzy  before  they  could  penetrate  to  the  immense 
depth.”  1  The  valley  thus  meant,  can  well  he  no  other 
than  that  of  the  Kidron,  which  here  actually  bends 
S.  W.  around  the  corner,  so  that  the  eastern  end  of  this 
high  southern  portico  impended  over  it.  The  depth  of 
the  valley  at  this  point,  as  we  have  seen,  is  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet ;  which  with  the  elevation 
of  the  wall  and  portico  gives  a  total  height  of  about 
310  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the  valley, — an  elevation 
sufficient  to  excuse  the  somewhat  hyperbolical  lan¬ 
guage  of  the  Jewish  historian.2  The  portico  along 

1)  Joseph.  Antiq.  XV.  11.  5.  elsewhere  speaks  only  of  vallies  on 

2)  J.  D.  Michaelis  understood  the  East  and  West  sides.  See 
this  language  as  referring  to  the  also  Niebuhr’s  Remarks  on  this 
elevation  of  the  wall  and  portico  hypothesis  of  Michaelis  ;  Reise- 
above  a  valley  along  the  South  beschr.  Bd.  III.  Anhang,  p.  140  ; 
side  of  the  temple-area ;  see  his  printed  also  in  Olshausen’s  To- 
Zerstreute  Kteine  Schrtften ,  p.  pographie  des  alten  Jerus.  p.  70, 
394,  seq.  But  Josephus  here  and  seq. 


430 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


the  eastern  wall  was  rebuilt  by  Agrippa,  and  is 
described  by  Josephus  in  like  manner  as  rising  above 
the  valley  to  the  enormous  height  of  400  cubits,  or 
more  than  500  feet ;  which  doubtless  is  merely  an 
exaggerated  estimate.1  At  the  N.  E.  corner  too,  the 
same  portico  was  near  the  valley  of  the  Kidron ; 
which  is  said  to  have  had  here  “  a  fearful  depth.”2 

A  greater  difficulty  arises,  when  we  undertake  to 
reconcile  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  temple-area, 
as  it  now  appears,  with  the  accounts  which  have  come 
down  to  us  from  antiquity.  We  have  seen  that  the 
length  of  the  present  southern  wall,  which  is  identical 
with  the  ancient  one,  is  955  English  feet,  or  about  318 
yards.3  But  both  Josephus  and  the  Talmud  describe 
the  upper  area  as  a  square,  of  which  each  of  the  sides 
measured,  according  to  the  former  one  stadium,  and 
according  to  the  latter  500  cubits.4  In  the  uncertainty 
which  exists  as  to  the  length  of  the  Jewish  cubit, 
these  two  specifications  throw  little  light  upon  each 
other.  But  the  length  of  a  stadium  of  600  Greek  feet, 
which  is  usually  regarded  as  equal  to  the  tenth  part 
of  a  geographical  mile  or  a  fraction  less  than  204 
yards,5  makes  the  southern  side  of  the  enclosure  to  be 
only  two  thirds  as  long  as  we  now  find  it  to  he  by 
actual  measurement ;  presenting  a  difference  of  114 
yards.  This  may  in  part  be  accounted  for,  by  sup¬ 
posing  the  ancient  specifications  to  refer  only  to  the 
interior  open  space  surrounded  by  the  broad  porticos 
within  the  walls ;  while  our  measurements  were  taken 
along  the  outside  of  the  walls.  But  even  this  supposi¬ 
tion  cannot  well  cover  the  whole  difference ;  and  we 
must  here  again  admit,  that  Josephus  probably  had  no 
definite  measurements,  hut  assumed  one  stadium  as  a 

1)  Antiq.  XX.  9.  7.  See  above  4)  Joseph.  Antiq.  XV.  11.  3. 

on  Josephus,  p.  415.  Lightfoot  Opera  I.  p.  554. 

2)  B.  J.  VI.  3.  2.  5)  The  more  exact  specification 

3)  See  above,  p.  419.  is  604  Olympic  stadia  to  a  degree. 


Sec.  VII.]  TEMPLE-AREA.  FORTRESS  ANTONIA.  431 

convenient  estimate. — If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  Jew¬ 
ish  cubit  may  be  taken  at  If  feet,  (as  is  often  done,) 
then  the  Rabbinic  specification  of  500  cubits,  or  875 
feet,  if  reckoned  only  from  portico  to  portico,  would 
not  vary  very  materially  from  the  results  of  our 
measurement. 

According  to  both  Josephus  and  the  Talmud,  the 
area  of  the  temple  was  a  square  ;  the  length  and  the 
breadth  being  equal.  But  we  now  find  the  length  to 
be  1,528  feet,  while  the  breadth  is  only  955  feet;  the 
former  exceeding  the  latter  by  573  feet  or  more  than 
one  half.  Although  in  this  case  also,  we  are  not 
bound  to  attribute  any  special  exactness  to  these 
writers ;  yet  the  discrepancy  is  here  too  great  to  be 
accounted  for  in  any  other  way,  than  by  supposing 
that  the  present  enclosure  has  been  enlarged  towards 
the  North.  This  has  not  improbably  been  done  by 
including  within  its  walls  the  area  of  the  ancient  for¬ 
tress  Antonia. 

This  fortress,  according  to  Josephus,  stood  on  the 
North  side  of  the  area  of  the  temple.1  It  was  a  quad¬ 
rangle,  erected  first  by  the  Maccabees  under  the  name 
of  Baris ;  and  then  rebuilt  by  the  first  Herod  with 
great  strength  and  splendour.  A  more  particular 
description2  places  it  upon  a  rock  or  hill  at  the  N.  W. 
corner  of  the  temple-area,  fifty  cubits  high ;  above 
which  its  walls  rose  to  the  height  of  forty  cubits. 
Within,  it  had  all  the  extent  and  appearance  of  a 
palace ;  being  divided  into  apartments  of  every  kind, 
with  galleries  and  baths,  and  also  broad  halls  or 
barracks  for  soldiers ;  so  that,  as  having  every  thing 
necessary  within  itself,  it  seemed  a  city,  while  in  its 
magnificence  it  was  a  palace.  At  each  of  the  four 
corners  was  a  tower ;  three  of  these  were  fifty  cubits 

1)  Ant.  XV. 11. 4,  y.ata  rip’  [loosi-  2)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  5.  8. 

ov  nXtvQctv.  See  B.  J.  1. 5.  4. 1.  21. 1. 


432 


JERUS  A  LEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


high ;  while  the  fourth,  at  the  S.  E.  corner,  was  sev¬ 
enty  cubits  high,  and  overlooked  the  whole  temple 
with  its  courts.  The  fortress  communicated  with  the 
northern  and  western  porticos  of  the  temple-area ; 
and  had  flights  of  stairs  descending  into  both  ;  by 
which  the  garrison  could  at  any  time  enter  the  court 
of  the  temple  and  prevent  tumults.1  The  fortress  was 
separated  from  the  hill  Bezetha,  on  the  North,  by  a 
deep  artificial  trench,  lest  it  should  be  approachable 
from  that  hill ;  and  the  depth  of  the  trench  added 
greatly  to  the  elevation  of  the  towers.2 

The  extent  of  the  fortress,  or  the  area  covered  by 
it,  is  nowhere  specified ;  except  where  the  same  writer 
says  that  the  circumference  of  the  temple,  including 
Antonia,  was  six  stadia.3  Now  as  we  are  elsewhere 
told  that  the  temple-area  by  itself  was  a  square  of  one 
stadium  on  each  side  ;4  it  follows,  that  the  length  of 
each  side  of  the  fortress  must  also  have  been  one  sta¬ 
dium,  and  its  area  equal  to  that  of  the  temple.  And 
although  this  again  is  probably  a  mere  estimate  on 
the  part  of  the  writer,  yet  the  conclusion  would  seem 
to  be  a  fair  one,  that  the  area  covered  by  Antonia 
was  probably  much  greater  than  has  usually  been 
supposed. 

In  view  of  all  these  circumstances  I  venture  to  pro¬ 
pose  the  following  conjecture;  which  indeed  is  sup¬ 
ported  by  various  facts ;  while  it  is,  so  far  as  I  know, 
contradicted  by  none.  In  looking  at  the  nature  of 
the  ground,  it  seems  probable  that  the  rock  on  which 
the  fortress  stood,  was  a  prolongation  of  the  hill  Beze¬ 
tha  towards  the  South,  which  was  cut  through  and 

1)  It  was  this  “  castle”  into  Testament  the  fortress  is  called 
which  Paul  was  carried  by  the  sol-  fj  Tcaot^fiolri,  Acts  xxi.  34,  37. 
diers  from  the  temple  ;  and  from  2)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  4.  2. 

these  stairs  he  addressed  the  peo-  3)  Ibid.  V.  5.  2. 

pie  collected  in  the  adjacent  court;  4)  Antiq.  XV.  11.  3. 

Acts  xxi.  31 — 40.  In  the  New 


Sec.  VII.]  TEMPLE-AREA.  ANTONIA  AND  FOSSE. 


433 


separated  from  that  hill  by  the  trench  above  mention¬ 
ed.1  This  rock,  or  ridge,  must  have  lain  partly  at 
least  within  the  present  enclosure,  at  its  N.  W.  corner ; 
for  between  the  enclosure  and  the  precipitous  part  of 
Bezetha,  there  now  intervenes  only  a  house  or  bar¬ 
rack  and  the  narrow  street,  presenting  a  space  wholly 
insufficient  for  the  fortress  and  its  deep  trench.  On 
this  rock  or  ridge,  I  conjecture,  lay  the  main  fortress 
or  “  acropolis”2  of  Antonia ;  while  the  remaining  part, 
comprising  the  halls  and  palace-like  apartments  and 
barracks,  extended  probably  along  the  northern  wall 
of  the  temple  quite  to  its  N.  E.  corner,  adjacent  to  the 
brow  of  the  valley  of  the  Kidron.  On  the  North  it  was 
doubtless  protected  throughout  by  the  trench  ;  and  of 
this  trench  the  greater  part  still  remains,  as  I  appre¬ 
hend,  in  the  deep  reservoir  commonly  called  the  Pool 
of  Bethesda. 

The  supposition  therefore  is,  that  the  fortress  An¬ 
tonia  occupied  the  whole  breadth  of  the  northern  part 
of  the  present  enclosure ;  between  the  ancient  north¬ 
ern  wall  and  the  present  Bethesda.  This  would  make 
its  length  from  W.  to  E.  the  same  as  that  of  the  area 
of  the  temple ;  while  its  breadth  from  N.  to  S.  might 
have  been  nearly  two  thirds  as  great,  or  some  600 
feet,  and  yet  leave  to  the  temple-area  its  square  form. 
The  peculiar  character  and  great  depth  of  the  Pool 
Bethesda,  so  called,  have  been  a  stone  of  stumbling  to 
many  travellers ;  but  by  thus  bringing  it  into  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  fortress,  its  peculiarities  are  at  once  ac¬ 
counted  for.  Indeed,  the  fortress  and  the  trench  serve 
to  illustrate  and  mark  the  limits  of  each  other  ;  and  it 
is  on  this  ground  chiefly,  that  I  venture  to  extend  the 
fortress  thus  far  towards  the  East. 

1)  The  rock  on  which  the  for-  anti  runs  the  valley,  which  separa- 
tress  stood,  could  not  have  been  ted  Bezetha  and  Moriah  from 
further  West  than  the  western  line  Akra. 
of  the  temple-area;  for  here  ran  2)  Antiq.  XV.  11.  4. 

Vol.  I.  55 


434 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


This  reservoir  lies  along  the  outside  of  the  present 
northern  wall  of  the  enclosure ;  of  which  wall  its 
southern  side  may  be  said  to  form  a  part.  Its  eastern 
end  is  near  the  wall  of  the  city ;  so  near  indeed,  that 
only  a  narrow  way  passes  between  them  leading  from 
St.  Stephen’s  Gate  to  the  mosk.  The  pool  measures 
360  English  feet  in  length,  130  feet  in  breadth,  and 
75  feet  in  depth  to  the  bottom,  besides  the  rubbish 
which  has  been  accumulating  in  it  for  ages.  It  was 
once  evidently  used  as  a  reservoir ;  for  the  sides  in¬ 
ternally  have  been  cased  over  with  small  stones,  and 
these  again  covered  with  plaster ;  but  the  workman¬ 
ship  of  these  additions  is  coarse,  and  bears  no  special 
marks  of  antiquity.  The  western  end  is  built  up  like 
the  rest,  except  at  the  S.  W.  corner ;  where  two  lofty 
arched  vaults  extend  in  westward  side  by  side 
under  the  houses  which  now  cover  that  part.  The 
southernmost  of  these  arches  is  12  feet  in  breadth  and 
the  other  19  feet ;  they  are  both  filled  up  with  earth 
and  rubbish,  and  a  vast  quantity  of  the  same  lies  be¬ 
fore  them.  Yet  I  was  able  to  measure  100  feet  within 
the  northern  one,  and  it  seemed  to  extend  much  fur¬ 
ther.  This  gives  to  the  whole  work  a  length  of  at 
least  460  feet,  equal  to  nearly  one  half  the  whole 
breadth  of  the  enclosure  of  the  mosk ;  and  how  much 
more,  we  do  not  know.  It  would  seem  as  if  the  deep 
reservoir  formerly  extended  further  westward  in  this 
part;  and  that  these  vaults  were  built  up  in  and 
over  it  to  support  the  buildings  above.  I  hold  it  pro¬ 
bable,  that  this  excavation  was  anciently  carried 
quite  through  the  ridge  of  Bezetha  along  the  northern 
side  of  Antonia  to  its  N.  W.  corner ;  thus  forming  the 
deep  trench  which  separated  the  fortress  from  the  ad¬ 
jacent  hill.  This  part  was  naturally  filled  up  by  the 
Romans  under  Titus,  when  they  destroyed  Antonia, 
and  built  up  their  approaches  in  this  quarter  against 
the  temple. 


Sec.  VIL]  TEMPLE-AREA.  ANTONIA  AND  FOSSE.  435 

Although  the  fortress,  as  we  have  seen,  was  con¬ 
nected  with  the  porticos  at  the  N.  W.  corner  of  the 
temple-area ;  yet  these  entrances  might  be  closed ;  and 
a  strong  wall  would  seem  to  have  existed  between 
the  temple  and  the  fortress.  After  Titus  was  in  full 
possession  of  Antonia,  he  had  yet  to  make  regular  ap¬ 
proaches  with  mounds  against  this  wall  and  its  portico, 
which  was  still  defended  by  the  Jews.  For  seven 
days  the  Romans  were  employed  in  levelling  the  very 
foundations  of  Antonia,  in  order  to  form  a  broad  place 
by  which  to  approach  the  temple-walls.  They  then 
built  up  four  mounds  against  these  walls ;  one  over- 
against  the  N.  W.  corner  of  the  inner  temple  (which 
would  seem  to  have  been  near)  ;  another  opposite  the 
northern  gallery  between  the  two  gates ;  a  third 
against  the  western  portico  of  the  exterior  temple ; 
and  the  fourth  against  the  outside  of  the  northern  por¬ 
tico.1  This  description  is  not  very  clear ;  but  it  serves 
to  show,  that  the  possession  of  Antonia  did  not  make 
the  Romans  masters  of  the  temple.2  It  seems  further, 
that  after  thus  labouring  for  seven  days  to  subvert  the 
foundations  of  Antonia,  the  Romans  still  did  not  de¬ 
stroy  the  whole  fortress ;  for  during  the  subsequent 
siege  and  assaults  upon  the  temple,  Titus  continued 
to  have  his  head-quarters  in  Antonia,  and  beheld  the 
daily  conflicts,  probably  from  one  of  its  towers.3  The 
grand  attack  was  evidently  made  upon  the  N.  W.  part 
of  the  area ;  and  here  it  would  seem,  the  Romans  had 
levelled  the  “  acropolis”  and  its  rock  to  the  ground ; 
fdled  up  the  deep  trench  ;  and  formed  a  broad  ap¬ 
proach  on  which  they  could  erect  their  works ;  while 
further  East  the  halls  and  apartments,  and  probably 

1)  Joseph.  B.  J.  VI.  2.  7.  filled  up.  Joseph.  Antiq.  XIV.  4. 

2)  Pompey  found  also  a  strong  2.  B.  J.  I.  7.  3. 

wall  and  towers  on  the  N.  of  the  3)  Joseph.  B.  J.  VI.  2.  5.  VI.  4. 
temple,  before  the  time  of  Herod  ;  4,  5. 

as  also  a  deep  trench,  which  he 


436 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


the  S.  E.  tower  of  Antonia,  were  left  as  a  shelter  for 
the  troops  and  the  head-quarters  of  their  commander. 
It  was  not  until  after  many  days,  when  the  various 
porticos  had  been  successively  carried  with  fire  and 
sword,  that  an  assault  was  made  upon  the  temple  or 
JVaos  itself ;  and  this  at  last  yielded  only  to  the  horri¬ 
ble  conflagration  by  which  it  was  destroyed.1 

In  this  way,  as  it  appears  to  me,  we  may  clearly 
account  for  all  the  facts  and  circumstances  which  have 
come  down  to  us  respecting  the  fortress  Antonia  and 
its  connection  with  the  ancient  temple.  At  the  same 
time,  we  remove  the  difficulty  arising  from  the  greater 
length  of  the  modern  enclosure,  as  compared  with  the 
ancient  one ;  and  obtain  also  a  satisfactory  explana¬ 
tion,  as  to  the  original  purpose  of  the  deep  and  other¬ 
wise  inexplicable  excavation  now  called  Bethesda.2 

A  few  remarks  upon  the  subsequent  history  of  this 
area  and  the  buildings  erected  upon  it,  may  conclude 
this  part  of  our  subject. 

It  is  related  of  our  Saviour  near  the  close  of  his 
life,  that  as  he  once  went  out  of  the  temple,  his  disci¬ 
ples  came  to  him,  £C  to  show  him  the  buildings  of  the 
temple.  And  Jesus  said  unto  them,  See  ye  not  all 
these  things  ?  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  There  shall  not 
be  left  here  one  stone  upon  another,  that  shall  not 
be  thrown  down.” 3  This  language  was  spoken  of  the 
“  buildings  of  the  temple,”  the  splendid  fane  itself  and 
its  magnificent  porticos ;  and  in  this  sense  the  prophecy 
has  been  terribly  fulfilled,  even  to  the  utmost  letter. 
Or,  if  we  give  to  the  words  a  wider  sense,  and  include 
the  outer  works  of  the  temple  and  even  the  whole  city, 
still  the  spirit  of  the  prophecy  has  received  its  full  and 

1)  Joseph.  B.  J.  VI.  2.  8,  10.  cient  fosse  ;  Descr.  of  the  East,  II. 

VI.  3.  1—3.  VI.  4.  2—5.  p.  15.  fol. 

2)  Pococke  also  regarded  the  3)  Matt.  xxiv.  1,  2.  So  Mark 

reservoir  as  the  remains  of  an  an-  xiii.  1,  2,  which  is  more  explicit. 


Sec.  VII.]  TEMPLE-AREA.  ROMAN  WORKS. 


437 


fearful  accomplishment;  for  the  few  substructions 
which  remain,  serve  only  to  show  where  once  the 
temple  and  the  city  stood.  In  the  case  of  the 
temple,  the  remaining  substructions  of  its  exterior 
walls  are  easily  accounted  for ;  even  on  the  supposi¬ 
tion  that  the  Romans  were  bent  upon  their  utter  sub¬ 
version.  The  conquerors  doubtless  commenced  the 
work  of  destruction  by  casting  down  the  stones  out¬ 
wards  from  above ;  these  of  course  accumulated  at 
the  foot  of  the  walls ;  covered  the  lower  parts ;  and 
thus  naturally  protected  them  from  further  demolition. 

For  half  a  century  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  there  is  no  mention  of  the  temple.  The  Jews 
had  again  tried  the  fortune  of  war  under  Trajan  and 
Adrian;  they  had  been  defeated,  and  Jerusalem 
again  taken  by  the  latter  emperor  ;  when  in  A.  D.  136 
he  consecrated  here  a  new  city,  called  after  one  of  his 
own  names,  JElia.1  At  the  same  time  he  erected  a 
temple  of  Jupiter  on  the  site  of  the  Jewish  temple;2 
and  decorated  it  with  two  statues  of  himself,  one  of 
which  at  least  was  equestrian.3  It  seems  probable 
that  the  walls  of  the  area  were  at  this  time  also  re¬ 
built,  at  least  in  part ;  for  the  architecture  of  the 
Golden  Gateway  in  the  eastern  wall  seems  to  he  of 
this  era.  This  is  a  massive  structure  forming  a  double 
gateway,  projecting  from  the  wall  into  the  area  of  the 
H  aram,  its  floor  being  several  feet  below  the  level  of 
the  area.  The  whole  is  now  used  as  a  Muslim"  place  of 
prayer.  The  external  front  and  arches  of  this  gate¬ 
way,  which  we  saw,  are  evidently  of  Roman  origin ; 
and  of  the  interior  Mr.  Bonomi  remarks,  “  that  a  cen¬ 
tral  row  of  noble  Corinthian  columns,  and  a  groined 

1)  See  Munter’s  Jiid.  Krieg  un-  rov  rov  vaov  rov  &eov  ronov,  vaov 
ter  Trajan  und  Hadrian,  1821,  p.  tw  Aii  tr tyov  avreysigavroq. 

87,  etc.  See  further  in  Sect.  VIII.  3)  Itiner.  Hieros. — Jerome,  as 

2)  Dio  Cass.  LXIX.  12,  v.al  iq  quoted  on  the  next  page,  note  3. 


438 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


roof,  had  once  formed  a  stately  portico  of  Roman 
workmanship.”1  This  gate  is  situated  nearly  300  feet 
North  of  the  middle  of  the  present  enclosure.  In 
erecting  these  walls,  the  former  area  of  the  fortress 
Antonia  might  have  been  included,  quite  to  the  deep 
fosse,  as  it  exists  at  present  ;2  while  perhaps  a  por¬ 
tion  of  the  southern  part  of  the  ancient  area  was  left 
out.  Of  the  demolition  of  Adrian’s  temple  we  have 
no  account.  The  Itiner.  Hieros.  speaks  of  the  statues 
as  still  standing  in  the  days  of  Constantine,  A.  D.  333, 
and  seems  also  to  imply  that  other  lofty  buildings 
existed  there.  Nor  does  this  emperor  nor  his  mother 
Helena  appear  to  have  included  this  enclosure  in  their 
projects  of  embellishment ;  for  in  the  days  of  Jerome, 
about  the  close  of  the  same  century,  the  equestrian 
statue  of  Adrian  yet  stood  upon  the  supposed  place  of 
the  Holy  of  Holies.3  Before  this  time,  about  A.  D. 
362,  had  occurred  the  abortive  attempt  of  the  Jews, 
under  Julian,  to  rebuild  their  temple.4 

Not  long  before  the  middle  of  the  sixth  century, 
the  emperor  Justinian  erected  a  magnificent  church 
in  Jerusalem,  in  honour  of  the  Virgin.  The  descrip¬ 
tion  which  the  historian  Procopius  gives  of  the  site 
and  construction  of  this  edifice,  is  not  very  clear ; 
and  borders  somewhat  on  the  fabulous.5  He  repre¬ 
sents  it  as  placed  upon  the  loftiest  hill  of  the  city,  where 
there  was  not  space  enough  to  allow  of  the  prescribed 


1)  So  Mr.  Bonomi  orally,  and  in 
Hogg’s  Visit  to  Alexandria,  etc. 
II.  p.  283.  Mr.  Catherwood  con¬ 
firms  this  description.  A  view  of 
the  interior  of  this  gateway  by  the 
latter,  is  found  in  Finden’s  Illustra¬ 
tions  of  the  Bible. 

2)  Pococke  speaks  also  of  large 
hewn  stones  and  an  entablature  in 

good  taste  at  the  N.  E.  entrance, 
near  the  wall;  and  supposes  this 

entrance  may  have  been  made  by 

Adrian.  Vol.  II.  p.  15.  fol. 


3)  Hieron.  Comm,  in  Esaiam 
ii.  8,  u  Ubi  quondam  erat  templum 
et  religio  Dei,  ibi  Hadriani  statua 
et  Jovis  idolum  collocatum  est.” 
Comm,  in  Matt.  xxi.  15,  “de  Ha¬ 
driani  equestri  statua,  quae  in  ipso 
Sancto  Sanctorum  loco  usque  in 
praesentem  diem  stetit.” 

4)  Socrates  Hist.  Ecc.  III.  20. 
Sozom.  V.  22.  Ammian.  Marcell. 
XXIII.  1. 

5)  Procop.  de  Aedificiis  Justi- 
niani,  V.  6. 


Sec.  VII.]  TEMPLE-AREA.  CHURCH  OF  JUSTINIAN.  439 

dimensions,  so  that  they  were  obliged  to  lay  the  foun¬ 
dation  on  the  S.  E.  side  at  the  bottom  of  the  hill,  and 
build  up  a  wall  with  arched  vaults  in  order  to  support 
that  part  of  the  building.  There  is  nothing  in  the 
subsequent  history  nor  in  the  modern  topography  of 
Jerusalem,  which  in  the  least  degree  corresponds  to 
this  description,  except  the  present  mosk  el-Aksa  at 
the  southern  extremity  of  the  enclosure  of  the  Haram. 
This  stands  adjacent  to  the  southern  wall,  where,  as 
we  have  seen,  the  latter  is  in  itself  about  60  feet  high, 
or  100  feet  above  the  foundation  of  the  parallel  city- 
wall  ;  indicating  here  a  steep  declivity  towards  the 
South.1  The  present  structure  is  about  280  feet  in 
length  from  N.  to  S.  by  190  feet  broad.2  This  mosk 
is  universally  regarded  by  Oriental  Christians,  and 
also  by  the  Frank  Catholics,  as  an  ancient  Christian 
church,  once  dedicated  to  the  Virgin;  and  the  latter 
now  give  it  the  name  of  the  Church  of  the  Presenta¬ 
tion.3  The  earlier  travellers  speak  of  it  also  as  a 
church  ;  and  of  late  years  Richardson  and  also  Bonomi 
and  Catherwood,  all  of  whom  entered  and  examined 
it,  describe  it  in  the  same  manner.4  Mr.  Bonomi, 
whose  judgment  as  an  artist  cannot  well  be  drawn  in 
question,  remarks  expressly,  that  “  the  structure  is 
similar  in  appearance  to  those  raised  in  the  early  ages 
of  Christianity.”5  If  now  we  may  suppose,  that  the 


1)  See  above,  p.  421. 

2)  According  to  the  measure¬ 
ments  and  manuscript  plan  of  Mr. 
Catherwood. 

3)  I  have  not  been  able  to  trace 
this  name  further  back  than  to 
Quaresmius,  Vol.  II.  p.  77,  seq.  It 
is  likewise  sometimes  called  the 
Church  of  the  Purification  ;  which 
name  Q,uaresmius  rejects. 

4)  Breydenbach  and  F.  Fabri 

in  A.  D.  1483  ;  Reissbuch  des  lieil. 
Landes,  pp.  Ill,  251.  Baumgarten 
in  A.  D.  1507,  p.  86.  Richardson’s 


Travels,  II.  p.  304.  Lond.  1822'. 
See  Bonomi’s  account  in  Hogg’# 
Visit  to  Alexandria,  Jerusalem,  etc. 
Lond.  1835.  Vol.  II.  p.  280. 

5)  Mr.  Bonomi  in  a  subsequent 
personal  interview  remarked  to< 
me,  that  the  interior  of  el-Aksa  has 
entirely  the  appearance  of  an  an¬ 
cient  Basilica.  The  same  has 
since  been  confirmed  to  me  by  Mr. 
Catherwood  ;  who  has  plans  and 
measurements  of  the  whole  edifice 
of  el-Aksa,  as  well  as  of  the  adja¬ 
cent  buildings. 


440 


JERUSALEM. — ANTIQUITIES, 


[Sec.  VII. 


enclosure  of  Adrian’s  temple  did  not  include  the  whole 
of  the  southern  part  of  the  ancient  temple-area  ]l  per¬ 
haps  because  the  southern  wall  of  the  latter,  having 
been  thrown  down  by  the  Romans,  had  never  again 
been  built  up ;  then  the  site  and  architecture  and 
other  circumstances  of  this  mosk  or  ancient  church, 
correspond  very  nearly  to  the  above  description  of  the 
church  erected  by  Justinian.  Indeed,  there  is  no  other 
site  nor  edifice  which  at  all  accords  with  this  descrip¬ 
tion;  nor  any  other  description  or  historical  notice 
which  applies  to  this  edifice.2 

A  century  later,  in  A.  D.  G36,  the  followers  of 
Muhammed,  under  Omar,  took  possession  of  the  Holy 
City  ;  and  the  Khalif  determined  to  erect  a  mosk  upon 
the  site  of  the  ancient  Jewish  temple.  Inquiring  of 
the  patriarch  Sophronius  and  others  after  the  spot,  he 
was  led  after  some  evasion  to  a  large  church,  to  the 
area  of  which  there  was  an  ascent  by  a  flight  of  steps. 
Near  this,  according  to  William  of  Tyre,  he  was 
shown  some  vestiges  of  ancient  works ;  or  according 
to  Arabian  writers,  he  here  found  or  was  led  to  the 
celebrated  rock,  es-Siikhrah,  then  covered  over  with 
filth  in  scorn  of  the  Jews.3  This  rock  he  himself  aided 
to  cleanse ;  and  erected  over  it  a  mosk,  which  is  usually 
regarded  as  that  at  present  existing.4  But  the  Arabian 
historians  relate,  that  the  Khalif  Abd  el-Melek  caused 


1)  See  above,  pp.  437, 438.  Such 
an  hypothesis  may  perhaps  have 
further  a  slight  support  in  the  fact, 
that  the  Golden  Gate,  which  would 
naturally  have  been  placed  oppo¬ 
site  to  the  middle  of  Adrian’s  enclo¬ 
sure,  is  actually  situated  some  300 
feet  North  of  the  middle  of  the  pre¬ 
sent  area. 

2)  Gtuaresmius  also  ascribes 
this  church  to  Justinian ;  Tom.  II. 
p.  79. 

3)  Theophanes  Chronogr.  p. 

281.  ed.  Paris.  Eutychii  Annales, 


Oxon.  1658,  Tom.  II.  p.  284,  seq. 
Will.  Tyr.  I.  2.  Hist,  of  Jerus.  by 
Mejr  ed-Din,  Fundgruben  des 
Orients,  V.  p.  161. — It  must  be 
borne  in  mind,  that  of  all  the  wri¬ 
ters  who  profess  to  give  an  account 
of  these  events,  whether  Franks 
or  Orientals,  the  earliest  lived 
nearly  or  quite  two  centuries  after¬ 
wards. 

4)  Will.  Tyr.  I.  2.  VIII.  3. 
Abulfed.  Syria,  ed.  Kohler,  p.  87. 
Comp.  Wilken’s  Gesch.  der  Kreuz- 
ztige  I.  p.  21,  seq. 


Sec.  VII.]  TEMPLE-AREA.  MUHAMMEDAN  STRUCTURES.  441 


this  mosk  to  he  rebuilt,  he  himself  prescribing  the 
form;  and  that  it  was  commenced  in  A.  H.  66  (A.  D. 
686)  and  completed  in  seven  years.1  This  was  the 
present  splendid  edifice,  Kubbet  es-Sukhrah,  “  Dome 
of  the  Dock.”  The  church  above  mentioned  was  pro¬ 
bably  that  which  we  have  attributed  to  Justinian,  the 
present  mosk  el-Aksa.  To  this,  which  must  early 
have  been  converted  into  a  mosk,  the  successors  of 
Omar  would  seem  also  to  have  made  additions  ;  a  nave 
or  vault  upon  the  eastern  part  is  even  said  to  have 
been  erected  by  himself,  and  still  hears  the  name  of 
the  Mosk  of  Omar.  In  another  part  of  this  mosk  he 
is  said  also  to  have  prayed,  and  his  altar  is  still 
shown.2  The  exterior  walls  of  the  great  area  appear 
at  the  same  time  to  have  been  built  up  and  strength¬ 
ened;  the  place  beautified;  the  buildings  richly  deco¬ 
rated  with  gold  and  silver ;  and  the  whole  furnished 
with  cisterns  and  reservoirs  of  water. 

Such  at  least  the  crusaders  found  the  spot,  when 
in  the  year  1099,  they  captured  Jerusalem  by  storm. 
A  multitude  of  the  Muslim  inhabitants  took  refuge  in 
the  sacred  enclosure,  as  a  place  of  strength.  But  their 
hope  was  vain ;  for  Tancred  and  his  followers  broke 
in  upon  them,  and  committed  here  the  most  horrible 
excesses.  Many  who  had  fled  to  the  roof  of  the  mosk, 
were  shot  down  with  arrows ;  others  rushed  for  safety 
into  the  cisterns,  and  there  perished  by  drowning  or 
the  sword.3  More  than  ten  thousand  Muslims,  accord- 


1)  Abulfed.  ibid.  p.  87.  Hist,  of 
Jerusalem  in  Fundgr.  des  Orients 
V.  pp.  158,  162.  The  object  of  Abd 
el-Melek,  in  building  the  mosk,  is 
said  to  have  been,  to  prevent  the 
necessity  of  pilgrimages  to  Mecca ; 
Fundgr.  des  Orients,  ibid.  p.  162. 
Eutychii  Annales,  II.  p  364. — Yet 
some  of  the  historians  of  the  cru¬ 
sades  refer  the  building  of  this  same 
mosk  or  temple  to  Christians !  So 
Albertus  Aquensis  VI.  24,  in  Gesta 
Dei  p.  281 ;  Jac.  de  Vitriaco,  c.  62. 

Vol.  I.  56 


2)  Fundgr.  des  Orients  II.  p.  84. 
Ali  Bey’s  Travels  II.  p.  217. 
Comp.  Richardson’s  Travels  II. 
pp.  304,  306.  In  the  circumstance 
of  Omar’s  praying  in  this  place  du¬ 
ring  his  visit  to  Jerusalem,  lies  a 
further  proof  that  the  building  it¬ 
self  is  of  a  more  ancient  date  ; 
Fundgr.  des  Or.  1.  c. 

3)  Fulcher.  Carnot,  in  Gesta 
Dei  p.  398.  Albert.  Aq.  VI.  20, 
seq.  ibid.  p.  280.  Will.  Tyr.  VIII. 
20. 


442 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


ing  to  the  admission  of  Christian  writers,  were  mas¬ 
sacred  within  the  sacred  precincts ;  neither  sex  nor 
age  was  spared;  and  the  whole  area  was  covered 
ankle-deep  with  blood.1  Arabian  writers  give  the 
number  of  those  here  slain  at  seventy  thousand.2 

So  soon  as  order  was  restored,  the  city  cleared  of 
the  dead,  and  a  regular  government  established  by 
the  election  of  Godfrey  as  king;  one  of  the  first  cares 
of  the  sovereign  was  to  dedicate  anew  to  Jehovah  the 
sacred  place,  where  of  old  Ilis  presence  had  been  wont 
to  dwell.  A  regular  chapter  of  canons  was  established 
in  the  great  mosk,  now  converted  into  a  temple  of  the 
Lord;  as  well  as  in  the  church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre. 
These  were  endowed  with  all  the  immunities  and 
privileges  wdiich  belonged  to  the  cathedrals  of  the 
West;  and  dwellings  were  assigned  to  them  around 
the  building.3  The  Christians  erected  a  choir  and 
altar  within  the  edifice,  over  the  sacred  rock ;  which 
itself  w7as  covered  over  with  marble.4  The  historians 
of  the  crusades  all  speak  of  the  great  moskes-Sukhrah, 
as  the  Templum  Domini;  they  describe  its  form  and 
the  rock  within  it ;  and  know  it  bv  no  other  name.5 
To  the  other  large  edifice  on  the  southern  side  of  the 
enclosure,  they  give  indiscriminately  the  name  of  Pa- 
latium ,  Porticus ,  seu  Templum  Salomonis ,  the  Palace, 
Portico,  or  Temple  of  Solomon  ;6  and  these  names  it 
appears  to  have  retained  among  the  Franks  down  to 


1)  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  20.  Fulcher. 
Carnot,  ibid.  p.  398.  Raimund  de 
Agiles  frankly  says :  “  Tantum  hoc 
dixisse  sufficiat,  quod  in  ternplo  et 
porticu  Salomonis  equitabatur  in 
sanguine  usque  ad  genua  et  usque 
ad  frenos  equorum.”  Gesta  Dei, 
etc.  p.  179. 

2)  So  Abulfeda  Annal.  Muslem. 
A.  H.  492.  Comp.  Wilken  Com¬ 
ment.  de  Bellor.  Cruc.  ex  Abulf. 
Historia,  pp.  31,  32. 

3)  Will.  Tyr.  IX.  9. 

4)  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  3.  Reinaud 


Extr.  des  Historiens  Arabes,  1829, 
p.  217. 

5)  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  2.  XII.  7. 
Jac.  de  Vitriac.  c.  62. 

6)  So  Palatium  Salomonis,  Al¬ 
bert.  Aq.  VI.  20,  22 ;  in  Gesta  Dei, 
etc.  p.  280.  Will.  Tyr.  XII.  7. 
Porticus  Salomonis,  Raim.  de  Ag. 
in  Gesta  Dei  p.  179.  Templum , 
Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  3.  Jac.  de  Vitr.  c. 
62.  This  latter  writer  says,  it 
was  perhaps  called  Templum  Salo¬ 
monis  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
other,  or  Templum  Domini. 


Sec.  VII.]  TEMPLE-AREA.  THE  CRUSADERS. 


443 


the  sixteenth  century.1  A  portion  of  this  edifice  was 
assigned  by  King  Baldwin  II.  in  A.  D.  1119  to  a  new 
order  of  knights ;  who  from  this  circumstance  took 
the  name  of  the  Knights  Templars.2  The  accounts 
we  have  of  this  structure  are  not  very  distinct.  The 
king  himself  would  seem  to  have  dwelt  in  it ;  whence 
perhaps  the  appellation  palace  ;  and  it  very  probably 
had  many  side-buildings,  and  was  more  extensive  than 
the  present  mosk  el-Aksa.3  The  Templars  built  a  wall 
before  the  Mihrdb  or  niche  of  prayer ;  and  used  this 
part  of  the  building  as  a  granary.4 

In  A.  D.  1187,  the  celebrated  Egyptian  Sultan 
Salah  ed-Din  (Saladin)  became  master  of  Jerusalem; 
and  the  order  of  things  was  again  reversed.  The  sacred 
precincts  of  the  temple  fell  back  once  more  to  the  uses 
of  Islam ;  the  golden  cross  upon  the  lofty  dome 
was  cast  down  and  dragged  along  the  ground,  and  the 
crescent  elevated  in  its  place ;  the  erections  and  orna¬ 
ments  of  the  Christians  were  all  removed ;  and  the 
edifices  purified  throughout  with  rose-water  brought 
for  the  occasion  from  Damascus.  The  voice  of  the 
Mu'edh-dhin  was  again  heard  proclaiming  the  hour  of 
prayer  ;  and  Saladin  himself  was  present  in  a  solemn 
assembly,  and  performed  his  devotions  in  both  the 
mosks  es-Sukhrah  and  el-Aksa.5  From  that  time  on¬ 
ward  to  the  present  day,  the  precincts  of  the  ancient 
temple,  with  one  slight  exception,  have  remained  in 
the  hands  of  the  Muslims ;  and  seem  to  have  expe- 


1)  Brocardus  calls  it  Palatium 
Regis ,  c.  8;  Marinus  Sanutus 
Templum  Salomonis ,  Secret,  fidel. 
Cruc.  III.  14.  9.  Breydenbach  and 
Fabri  speak  of  it  in  A.  D.  1483  as 
Portions  Salomonis ,  Reissb.  des 
h.  Landes,  pp.  Ill,  251.  So  too 
Rud.  de  Suchem  in  the  14th  cen¬ 
tury,  and  Baumgarten  A.  D.  1507, 

p.  86. 

2)  Will.  Tyr.  XII.  7.  Jac.  de 


Vitr.  c.  65.  Comp.  Benjamin  of 
Tudela,  I.  p.  87,  ed.  Baratier. 

3)  Jac.  de  Vitriaco  describes  it 
as  being  u  immensae  quantitatis  et 
amplitudinis.”  c.  62. 

4)  Reinaud  Extr.  des  Histo- 
riens  Arabes,  1829,  p.  215. 

5)  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kreuzz. 
III.  ii.  p.  311,  seq.  Reinaud  Extr. 
des  Historiens  Arabes,  1829,  p. 
214,  seq. 


444  JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES.  [Sec.  VII. 


rienced  no  important  changes,  except  such  as  are  in¬ 
cidental  to  the  lapse  of  time. 

The  rock  es-Siikhrah  beneath  the  great  dome, 
with  the  excavated  chamber  under  it,  is  one  of  the 
most  venerated  spots  of  Muslim  tradition  and  devotion. 
Even  the  Christians  of  the  middle  ages  regarded  it  as 
the  stone  on  which  Jacob  slept  when  he  saw  the  vision 
of  angels  ;  and  also  as  the  spot  where  the  destroying 
angel  stood,  when  about  to  smite  Jerusalem  for  the 
sin  of  David.1  Some  regarded  it  likewise  as  having 
existed  anciently  under  the  most  holy  place  of  the 
Jewish  temple ;  and  as  still  containing  in  itself  the 
ark  and  other  sacred  things.2  The  followers  of  Mu- 
hammed  have  loaded  this  rock  with  legends  respecting 
their  prophet ;  until  it  has  become  in  their  eyes  second 
alone  to  the  sacred  Ka’beh  of  Mecca.  Their  writings 
are  full  of  the  praises  of  the  Sukhrah  and  of  Jerusalem. 
Even  the  false  prophet  himself  is  reported  to  have 
said  :  “  The  first  of  places  is  Jerusalem,  and  the  first 
of  rocks  is  the  Sukhrah  ;”  and  again  :  “  The  rock  es- 
Sukrah  at  Jerusalem  is  one  of  the  rocks  of  Paradise.”3 
The  mosk  el-Aksa  is  perhaps  even  more  respected. 
Indeed  the  two  are  regarded  as  forming  together  one 
great  temple ;  which,  with  their  precincts,  is  now 
commonly  called  el-Haram  esh-Sherif;  but  which  in 
earlier  Arabian  writers  bears  the  general  name  of 
Mesjid  el-Aksa,  “  the  remotest”  of  the  holy  places,  in 
distinction  from  Mecca  and  Medina.4  This  grand 


1)  Gen.  xxviii.  11,  seq.  2  Sam. 
xxiv.  16.  Phocas  de  Locis  Sanct. 
xiv.  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  3,  fin. 

2)  Albert.  Aq.  VI.  24.  p.  281. 

Fulcher.  Carn.  c.  18.  p.  397. — Has 
this  stone  perhaps  any  connection 
with  that  mentioned  by  the  Itiner. 
Ilieros.  in  A.  D.  333,  near  the  two 
statues  of  Adrian  7  “  Est  non 

longe  de  statuis  lapis  pertusus,  ad 
quern  veniunt  Judaei  singulis  annis, 
et  unguent  eum,  et  lamentant  se 


cum  gemitu,  et  vestimenta  sua 
scindunt,  et  sic  recedunt.” 

3)  Hist,  of  Jerusalem  by  Mejr 
ed-Din,  Fundgr.  des  Orient.  II.  p. 
384.  See  also  the  account  of  two 
Arabic  MSS.  of  similar  import,  in 
the  Royal  Library  at  Paris  ;  Noti¬ 
ces  et  Extraits  des  MSS,  etc.  Tom. 
III.  pp.  605,  610. 

4)  The  Jami’ci  el-Aksa  is  the 
mosk  alone  ;  the  Mesjid  el-Aksa  is 
the  mosk  with  all  the  sacred  en- 


Sec.  VII.] 


TEMPLE-AREA.  CISTERNS. 


445 


\ 


temple  or  mosk  they  regarded  as  the  largest  in  the 
world,  except  that  at  Cordova  in  Spain.1 

The  walls  around,  and  even  the  ground  itself,  hear 
evidence  of  being  in  part  composed  of  the  materials 
of  former  structures.  Fragments  of  marble  columns 
and  masses  of  rubbish  are  visible  in  places  where  the 
ground  is  turned  up  or  the  sward  broken  f  and  the 
famous  seat  of  Muhammed,  where  he  is  to  sit  and  judge 
the  world,  is  nothing  more  than  the  broken  shaft  of  a 
column,  built  in  horizontally  across  the  upper  part  of 
the  eastern  wall,  instead  of  a  square  stone.  Being 
longer  than  the  thickness  of  the  wall,  it  projects  some¬ 
what  externally  and  overhangs  the  Valley  of  Jeho- 
shaphat ;  thus  affording  an  occasion  for  the  legend.3 
Other  similar  fragments  are  seen  in  various  parts  of 
the  wall. 

We  heard  much  of  the  large  reservoirs  or  cisterns 
which  are  said  to  exist  under  the  surface  of  the  Ha- 
ram  ;  and  which  have  been  often  mentioned  by  travel¬ 
lers.4  The  Muslim  worship,  with  its  many  ablutions, 
requires  an  abundant  supply  of  water  in  or  near  the 
mosks ;  and  the  construction  of  cisterns  was  here  al¬ 
most  a  matter  of  course.  The  ancient  subterranean 


closure  and  precincts,  including  the 
Sukhrah.  Thus  the  words  Mesjid 
and  JdmPa  differ  in  usage  some¬ 
what  like  the  Greek  ieoov  and  raoq. 
See  Hist,  of  Jerus.  in  Fundgr.  des 
Or.  II.  p  93.  Comp.  Ibn  el-Wardi, 
in  Abulf.  Syria,  ed.  Kohler,  p.  180. 

1)  Ibn  el-Wardi,  1.  c.  Edrisi,  p. 
343,  ed.  Jaubert.. — The  most  com¬ 
plete  oriental  account  of  the  Ha- 
ram  is  in  the  History  of  Jerusalem 
by  Mejr  ed-Din,  already  so  often 
quoted,  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II.  pp. 
81,  118,  375.  V.  p.  157.  Less  im¬ 
portant  is  the  History  of  the  Tem¬ 
ple  by  Jelal  ed-Din,  translated  by 
Reynolds,  Lond.  1836.  See  also 
Ali  Bey’s  Travels,  Vol.  II.  c.  16.  p. 
214,  seq.  Richardson’s  Travels, 
II.  p.  285,  seq.  Bonomi  in  Hogg’s 


Visit  to  Alexandria,  Jerusalem,  etc. 

II.  p.  272,  seq. 

2)  Richardson’s  Travels,  II.  p. 
312. 

3)  Bonomi  in  Hogg’s  Visit  to 
Alexandria,  etc.  pp.  282,  283. 

4)  Niebuhr  Reisebeschr.  Bd. 

III.  Anh.  p.  141.  Ali  Bey’s  Trav¬ 
els,  II.  p.  226. — So  Tacitus  de¬ 
scribes  the  ancient  temple  as  hav¬ 
ing  within  its  enclosure  “  piscinae 
cisternaeque  servandis  imbribus 
Hist.  V.  12.  Comp.  Aristaeus  in 
Appendix  to  Havercamp’s  Jose¬ 
phus,  Vol.  II.  p.  112.  So  too  the 
Itin.  Hieros.  A.  D.  333,  speaks  thus 
of  the  site  of  the  temple :  “  Sunt 
ibi  excepturia  magna  aquae  sub- 
terraneae  et  piscinae  magno  opere 
aedificatae.” 


446 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


vaults  in  this  quarter,  appear  to  have  been  in  part 
used  for  this  purpose.  These  cisterns  are  filled,  as  in 
the  private  houses  of  the  city,  partly  by  rain-water 
from  the  roofs  of  the  buildings  ;  and  partly  also  by  the 
aqueduct  which  brings  water  from  Solomon’s  Pools. 
At  the  time  of  our  visit,  this  was  dry.  Between  the 
mosks  es-Siikhrah  and  el-Aksa  there  is  a  marble  basin 
or  fountain,  bordered  with  olive,  orange,  and  cypress- 
trees  ;  apparently  connected  with  the  tank  or  cistern 
described  here  in  the  times  of  the  crusaders,  which 
had  a  basin  and  a  dome  supported  by  columns,  and 
furnished  water  for  the  besieged  and  their  cattle.1  In 
the  lower  part  of  the  city,  around  the  enclosure  of  the 
mosk,  are  several  public  fountains  of  Muslim  construc¬ 
tion,  which  appear  once  to  have  been  fed  from  the  cis¬ 
terns  of  the  Haram ;  but  they  have  long  ceased  to  flow. 

The  spacious  crypts  or  vaults,  which  are  known  to 
exist  beneath  the  mosk  el-Aksa  and  the  southern  part 
of  the  enclosure,  are  a  matter  of  intense  interest ;  and 
we  may  hope  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant,  when 
they  will  become  more  accessible  to  a  complete  ex¬ 
amination.  They  are  mentioned  by  travellers,  who 
heard  of  them  as  early  as  the  fifteenth  century.2  An 
Arabian  writer  of  about  the  same  age  speaks  of  a 
structure  beneath  the  mosk,  which  was  called  the 
“  ancient  temple,”  and  was  referred  to  Solomon  on 
account  of  its  massive  architecture.3  In  A.  D.  1697, 
Maundrell  appears  to  have  seen  these  vaults,  and  de¬ 
scribes  them  as  extending  one  hundred  feet  or  more 
under  Mount  Moriah  on  the  South  side,  and  con- 

1)  Albert.  Aq.  VI.  22,  in  Gesta  through  a  hole  in  the  outer  wall ; 

Dei  p.  280.  ibid.  p.  279.  Baumgarten  in  A.  D. 

2)  Breydenbach,  A.D.  1483,  re-  1507  heard  of  them  as  spacious 
lates  that  they  could  contain  600  and  magnificent,  and  capable  of  re¬ 
horses;  Reissb.  p.  111.  Fabri  in  ceiving  many  thousand  men;  Pere- 
the  same  year,  says,  they  were  grinatio,  p.  86. 

held  to  have  been  the  stables  of  3)  History  of  Jerusalem,  etc. 
Solomon;  and  he  entered  them  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II.  p.  95. 


Sec,  VII.]  TEMPLE-AREA.  ANCIENT  VAULTS.  447 

sisting  of  columns  of  a  single  stone,  each  four  feet  in 
diameter,  and  arched  over  with  very  large  stones. 
How  he  can  have  seen  these  from  the  outside,  from 
any  point  within  the  city- wall,  is  to  me  inexplica¬ 
ble  ;  unless  there  may  have  been  at  the  time  a  breach 
in  the  wall.  At  present  there  is  no  trace  of  any  door  or 
entrance  on  this  part.  A  few  small  holes  or  windows 
high  up,  are  all  the  openings  now  visible.1  So  far  as 
I  know,  the  only  Frank  travellers  who  have  been  per¬ 
mitted  to  descend  into  the  vaults  from  within,  are  Rich¬ 
ardson  in  1818,  and  Messrs.  Bonomi,  Catherwood  and 
Arundale  in  1833.2  The  usual  entrance  from  above 
is  at  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the  enclosure,  where  a  flight 
of  steps  leads  down  to  “  a  square  subterraneous  cham¬ 
ber,  in  the  middle  of  which,  laid  on  the  floor,  is  a 
sculptured  niche”  in  the  form  of  a  sarcophagus,  with 
a  canopy  above.  This  is  called  the  cradle  of  Jesus. 
“From  this  chamber,”  Mr.  Bonomi  says,  “we  de¬ 
scended  a  staircase  to  a  spacious  crypt,  or  series  of 
vaults,  extending  beneath  a  considerable  portion  of 
the  enclosure. — These  noble  substructions  consist  en¬ 
tirely  of  Roman  arches  of  large  dimensions  and  admi¬ 
rable  workmanship,  probably  of  the  age  of  Herod.”3 
Richardson  remarks,  that  the  stones  of  which  the 
square  columns  are  composed,  are  five  feet  long  and 
are  bevelled  at  the  ends  and  corners ;  they  are 
disintegrated,  and  have  a  much  older  appearance 
than  the  arches  which  they  support.4 


1)  Maundrell’s  Journey,  etc. 
Apr.  5.  De  Bruyn  (le  Brun)  ap¬ 
pears  to  speak  of  the  same  vaults 
a  few  years  before.  He  calls  them 
the  Temple  of  the  Presentation  ; 
they  were  under  a  mosk  and  could 
be  seen  only  with  lights  ;  Voyage, 
etc.  p.  262. 

2)  Richardson’s  Travels,  II.  p. 

308,  seq.  Bonomi  in  Hogg’s  Visit 


to  Alexandria,  etc.  II.  p.  281,  seq. 
Ali  Bey  also  heard  of  the  vaults, 
but  did  not  visit  them  ;  Travels  II. 
p.  227. 

3)  Bonomi,  1.  c.  II.  pp.  281,  282. 
I  have  since  had  the  pleasure  of 
receiving  from  Mr.  Bonomi  him¬ 
self  a  full  confirmation  of  the  ac¬ 
count  given  in  the  text. 

4)  Travels,  II.  pp.  309,  310. 


- 


448  JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES.  [Sec.  VII. 

From  information  and  plans  kindly  communicated 
to  me  by  Mr.  Catherwood,  who  with  his  companions 
examined  and  measured  these  subterranean  structures 
without  hindrance  in  1833,  it  appears  that  these  vaults, 
so  far  as  they  are  now  accessible  to  strangers,  were 
originally  formed  by  some  fifteen  rows  of  square  pillars 
measuring  about  five  feet  on  a  side,  built  of  large 
bevelled  stones,  and  extending  from  the  southern  wall 
northwards  to  an  unknown  extent.  The  intervals  be¬ 
tween  the  rows  are  usually,  though  not  entirely, 
regular  ;  and  the  pillars  of  some  of  the  ranges  are  of  a 
somewhat  larger  size.  In  each  row  the  pillars  are 
connected  together  by  semicircular  arches ;  and  then 
the  vault,  resting  upon  every  two  rows,  is  formed  by 
a  lower  arch,  consisting  of  a  smaller  segment  of  a  cir¬ 
cle.  The  circumstance  mentioned  by  Richardson, 
that  the  pillars  have  a  much  older  appearance  than 
the  arches  which  they  support,  was  not  noticed  by  the 
three  artists.  From  the  entrance  at  the  S.  E.  corner 
of  the  Haram  for  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet 
westward,  these  ranges  of  vaults  extend  northwards 
nearly  two  hundred  feet ;  where  they  are  shut  up  by 
a  wall  of  more  modern  date.  For  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  further  West,  the  vaults  are  closed  up  in 
like  manner  at  less  than  a  hundred  feet  from  the  south¬ 
ern  wall;  and  to  judge  from  the  wells  and  openings 
above  ground,  it  would  seem  as  if  they  had  thus  been 
walled  up,  in  order  that  the  northern  portion  of  them 
might  be  converted  into  cisterns.  Beyond  this  part, 
towards  the  West,  they  again  extend  still  further 
North.  They  are  here  terminated  on  the  West,  before 
reaching  el-Aksa,1  by  a  like  wall  filling  up  the  inter¬ 
vals  of  one  of  the  rows  of  pillars.  How  much  further 

1)  The  distance  from  the  S.  E.  feet;  while  from  the  same  corner 
corner  ot  the  Haram  to  the  eastern  to  the  western  side  of  the  vaults 
wall  ot  el-Aksa,  according  to  Mr.  now  open  to  visitors,  is  only  about 
Catherwood’s  plans,  is  about  475  320  feet. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TEMPLE- ARE  A.  ANCIENT  VAULTS. 


449 


450 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


they  originally  extended  westward,  is  unknown;  not 
improbably  cpiite  to  the  western  wall  of  the  enclosure, 
where  are  now  said  to  be  immense  cisterns.1 

The  ground  in  these  vaults  rises  rapidly  towards 
the  North ;  the  southernmost  columns  with  the  double 
arches  being  about  thirty-live  feet  in  height;  while 
those  in  the  northern  parts  are  little  more  than  ten 
feet  high.  The  surface  of  the  ground  is  everywhere 
covered  with  small  heaps  of  stones ;  the  memorials  of 
innumerable  pilgrims  who  have  here  paid  their  devo¬ 
tions.  It  is  a  singular  circumstance,  that  the  roots  of 
the  large  olive-trees  growing  upon  the  area  of  the 
Haram  above,  have  in  many  places  forced  their  way 
down  through  the  arches,  and  still  descending  have 
again  taken  root  in  the  soil  at  the  bottom  of  the  vaults. 
— The  accompanying  plan  of  these  vaults  is  from  the 
skilful  pencil  of  Mr.  Catherwood ;  and  was  made  out 
from  his  own  very  full  and  exact  measurements. 

At  about  thirty  feet  in  front  of  el-Aksa,  just  on  the 
East  of  its  principal  porch  or  door,  a  passage  leads 
down  by  steps  through  the  pavement  and  under  the 
mosk,  and  continues  to  descend  partly  by  steps  and 
partly  without,  until  it  terminates  in  a  noble  ancient 
gateway  adjacent  to  the  southern  wall  of  the  enclosure. 
This  gateway  is  forty-two  feet  in  breadth  by  fifty  or 
sixty  feet  in  length  from  South  to  North.  It  is  de¬ 
scribed  by  Mr.  Catherwood  as  entirely  similar  in  its 
character  and  architecture  to  the  Golden  Gateway 
spoken  of  above,2  except  that  it  would  seem  to  be  of 
a  somewhat  earlier  date ;  the  same  groined  roof  and 
marble  columns  of  the  Corinthian  order,  indicating  a 
Roman  origin  or  at  least  a  Roman  style.  Like  that 
too  it  is  a  double  gateway;  and  the  middle  row  of 
columns  extends  up  through  the  whole  passage. 

1)  The  vaults  described  by  2)  See  the  description  of  the 
Maundrell  would  seem  to  have  Golden  Gateway  above,  p.  437. 
been  on  the  west  of  el-Aksa. 


Sec.  VII.]  TEMPLE-AREA.  ANCIENT  VAULTS. 


451 


There  can  be  little  question,  that  this  is  the  an¬ 
cient  gate  mentioned  by  Josephus,  in  the  middle  of 
the  southern  side  of  the  temple-area.1  It  may  have 
been  erected,  or  at  least  decorated  by  Herod;  and 
perhaps  rebuilt  by  Adrian  or  at  the  same  time  with 
the  church  under  Justinian.  At  present  the  floor  of 
it  is  about  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  above  the  ground  on 
the  outside.  Probably  an  external  flight  of  steps 
originally  connected  it  with  the  part  of  the  city  below. 
The  present  southern  wall,  here  wholly  modern,  en¬ 
tirely  covers  this  gateway  from  view;  so  that  a  per¬ 
son  by  merely  looking  at  the  outside,  would  have  no 
suspicion  of  its  existence ;  although  to  one  already 
acquainted  with  it,  certain  traces  in  the  wall  serve  to 
mark  its  place.  This  is  just  on  the  East  of  the  spot, 
where  the  city-wall,  coming  up  from  the  South,  meets 
the  wall  of  the  Haram ;  it  is  consequently  very  near 
the  middle  of  the  southern  side  of  the  ancient  temple- 
area.  At  present  neither  this  gateway,  nor  the  pas¬ 
sage  leading  down  to  it,  have  any  communication 
with  the  vaults  above  described. — The  existence  of 
this  ancient  gateway  goes  to  confirm  indubitably  the 
view  already  taken,  that  the  present  southern  wall  of 
the  Haram  occupies  the  identical  site  of  the  same  wall 
of  the  ancient  temple-area.2 

The  crypts  too  are  doubtless  ancient ;  and  may  be 
referred,  partly  perhaps  to  the  vaulted  substructions 
which  were  built  up,  or  very  probably  only  repaired, 
for  the  area  of  Justinian’s  church  ;3  and  partly  either 

1)  Joseph.  Ant.  XV.  11.  5.  the  same  gentleman  has  in  his  pos- 

2)  See  above,  p.  428.  The  session  similar  measurements  and 
reader,  I  am  sure,  will  join  with  plans  of  the  subterranean  and 
me  in  thanking  Mr.  Catherwood  golden  gateways;  as  well  as  of 
for  this  very  specific  and  valu-  both  the  mosks  el-Aksa  and  es- 
able  information  respecting  the  Suldir ah,  and  of  the  Haram  in  gen- 
vaults  and  this  subterranean  gate-  eral.  It  is  greatly  to  be  desired, 
way.  The  very  existence  of  such  that  these  too  may  be  given  to  the 
a  gate  now  becomes  known  to  the  public. 

public  for  the  first  time.  Besides  3)  See  above,  p.  439. 
the  preceding  plan  of  the  vaults, 


452 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VIL 


to  Herod,  or  with  greater  probability  to  a  still  earlier 
date.  Herod  indeed  appears  not  to  have  meddled  to 
any  great  extent  with  the  substructions  of  the  temple  ; 
except  perhaps  so  far  as  to  construct  a  subterraneous 
passage  to  it  from  the  fortress  Antonia.1  In  doing  this 
he  doubtless  made  use  in  part  of  older  vaults  or  exca¬ 
vations  ;  and  we  know  from  Josephus,  that  such  ex¬ 
isted  in  connection  with  the  temple.  This  historian 
relates,2  that  near  the  close  of  the  siege  of  Jerusalem 
by  Titus,  Simon,  one  of  the  Jewish  tyrants  in  the 
upper  city,  withdrew  with  a  company  of  friends  and 
stone-cutters,  furnished  with  tools  and  provisions, 
into  a  subterraneous  cavern,  with  the  hope  of  being 
able  through  connecting  passages  and  by  occasional 
mining,  to  make  their  escape  without  the  walls  of  the 
city.  In  this  purpose  however  they  were  frustrated ; 
their  provisions  failed  ;  and  after  Titus  had  departed 
from  the  city,  Simon,  arraying  himself  in  white  and 
purple,  emerged  from  the  ground  on  the  spot  where 
the  temple  had  stood,  in  the  vain  hope  of  terrifying  the 
guards  who  were  there  stationed,  and  thus  making 
his  escape.  He  was  however  seized,  and  reserved  for 
the  triumph  of  Titus. — This  account  implies  at  least, 
that  there  had  been  subterranean  vaults  or  passages 
beneath  the  temple,  corresponding  to  the  cavati  sub 
terra  montes  of  Tacitus.3 

Of  the  living  fountain  deep  under  the  site  of  the 
temple,  mentioned  perhaps  by  Aristaeus  and  apparently 
referred  to  by  Tacitus,  I  shall  speak  in  another  place, 
in  treating  of  the  waters  of  Jerusalem. 

1)  See  above,  p.  418.  Joseph.  Essay  of  J.  D.  Michaelis,  which  ex- 

Antiq.  XV.  11.  7.  hibits  much  more  of  hypothesis 

2)  Joseph.  B.  J.  VII.  c.  2.  than  of  proof,  entitled:  Von  den 

3)  Hist.  V.  12,  “Templum  in  mo-  Gewolbem  unter  dem  Berge  Zion 
dum  arcis, — fons  perennis  aquae,  und  des  Tempels ,  in  his  Zerstreute 
cavati  sub  terra  montes,  et  piscinae  kl.  Schriften,  p.  427,  seq.  Miin- 
cisternaeque  servandis  imbribus.”  ter  Antiquarische  Abhandlungen, 
See  generally  on  this  subject  an  p.  S7,  seq. 


Sic.  VII.] 


TOWER  OF  HIPPICUS. 


453 


VI.  TOWER  OF  HIPPICUS,  AND  OTHER  TOWERS. 

Having  thus  obtained,  in  the  substructions  of  the 
former  temple,  a  fixed  and  definite  point  in  the  am 
cient  topography  of  Jerusalem ;  and  having  found  in 
the  same  a  specimen  and  standard  of  the  Jewish  mu¬ 
ral  architecture;  we  afterwards  turned  our  attention 
to  other  like  remains,  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to 
determine  the  places  and  the  direction  of  some  of  the 
ancient  towers  and  walls,  which  stood  in  connection 
with  those  of  the  temple. 

Hippicus.  The  most  important  spot  in  a  topogra¬ 
phical  respect  yet  to  be  ascertained,  was  the  exact 
situation  of  the  ancient  tower  Hippicus ;  which  Jose¬ 
phus,  as  we  have  seen,  assumed  as  the  starting-point 
in  his  description  of  all  the  city-walls ;  and  which  was 
to  be  sought  for  at  the  N.  W.  corner  of  the  upper  city 
or  Mount  Zion.1  Of  this  tower  the  historian  has  left 
us  a  tolerably  minute  description.^  It  was  built  by 
the  first  Herod,  and  named  after  a  friend  of  his  who 
had  fallen  in  battle.  The  form  was  a  quadrangle, 
twenty-five  cubits  on  each  side ;  and  built  up  entirely 
solid  to  the  height  of  thirty  cubits.  Above  this  solid 
part  was  a  cistern  twenty  cubits  high ;  and  then,  for 
twenty-five  cubits  more,  were  chambers  of  various 
kinds ;  with  a  breastwork  of  two  cubits  and  battle¬ 
ments  of  three  cubits  upon  the  top.  The  altitude  of 
the  whole  tower,  accordingly,  was  eighty  cubits.  The 
stones  of  which  it  was  built,  were  very  large,  twenty 
cubits  long  by  ten  broad  and  five  high ;  and  (probably 
on  the  upper  part)  were  of  white  marble. — It  must 
here  be  borne  in  mind,  that  Josephus  (as  above  men¬ 
tioned)  probably  had  no  such  specific  measurements ; 
he  was  writing,  after  the  lapse  of  years,  at  Rome ; 

1)  See  above,  pp.  411,  413.  2)  Ibid.  V.  4.  3,  4. 

J oseph.  B.  J.  V.  4.  2. 


454 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


and  the  numbers  here  given  must  therefore  be  regard¬ 
ed  only  in  the  light  of  conjectural  estimates.1  On  the 
other  hand,  the  solidity  of  the  lower  part  of  the  tower 
is  a  circumstance  so  remarkable,  and  was  probably  of 
such  publicity,  that  it  cannot  well  be  referred  to  the 
imagination  of  the  historian. 

On  the  same  northwestern  part  of  Zion,  a  little 
South  of  the  Yafa  Gate,  lies  at  present  the  fortress  or 
citadel  of  the  modern  Jerusalem.  It  is  an  irregular 
assemblage  of  square  towers,  surrounded  on  the  inner 
side  towards  the  city  by  a  low  wall ;  and  having  on 
the  outer  or  West  side  a  deep  fosse.  The  towers 
which  rise  from  the  brink  of  the  fosse,  are  protected 
on  that  side  by  a  solid  sloping  bulwark  or  buttress, 
which  rises  from  the  bottom  of  the  trench  at  an  angle 
of  about  45°.  This  part  bears  evident  marks  of  anti¬ 
quity  ;  and  this  species  of  sloping  bulwark,  of  which 
we  saw  several  other  specimens  in  Palestine,  I  am 
disposed  to  ascribe  to  the  times  of  the  Romans.  In 
respect  to  the  present  instance,  Adrian,  in  rebuilding 
and  fortifying  the  city,  would  very  naturally  build  up 
again  a  citadel  upon  the  commanding  site  of  the  for¬ 
mer  one ;  and  to  his  age  I  am  inclined  to  refer  these 
massive  outworks. — At  the  capture  of  Jerusalem  by 
the  crusaders  in  A.  D.  1099,  this  fortress  was  the 
strongest  part  of  the  city,  and  the  last  to  be  surren¬ 
dered.2  The  historians  of  those  times  speak  of  it 
under  the  name  of  the  Tower  or  Citadel  of  David ; 
and  describe  it  as  built  of  large  hewn  stones  and  of 
immense  strength.3  When  the  walls  of  the  city  were 
thrown  down  A.  D.  1219  by  the  Muslims,  this  fortress 
was  spared  ;4  and  continued  to  bear  among  Franks 

1)  See  above,  p.  415.  quasi  indissolubiliter  compaginatis 

2)  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  24.  constructam.” 

3)  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  3.  IX.  3.  4)  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kreuzz. 

Jac.de  Vit.  c.  60,  “  ex  lapidibus  VI.  p.  238. 

quadris  caemento  et  plumbo  fusili 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOWER  OF  HIPPICUS. 


455 


only  the  name  of  the  Tower  of  David  down  to  the 
sixteenth  century.1  It  then  apparently  began  also  to 
be  called  the  Castle  of  the  Pisans ;  in  consequence,  it 
is  said,  of  having  formerly  been  rebuilt  or  repaired  by 
citizens  of  the  Pisan  republic.2 

Within  this  fortress,  as  the  traveller  enters  the 
city  by  the  Yafa  Gate,  the  northeastern  tower  at¬ 
tracts  his  notice ;  and,  even  to  the  unpractised  eye, 
bears  strong  marks  of  antiquity.  The  upper  part  is 
apparently  modern,  and  does  not  differ  from  the  other 
towers  and  walls  around ;  but  the  lower  part  is  built 
of  larger  stones,  bevelled  at  the  edges;  and  apparently 
still  occupying  their  original  places.  Among  the 
Franks  this  is  now  known  as  the  Tower  of  David ; 
while  they  sometimes  give  also  to  the  whole  fortress 
the  name  of  the  Castle  of  David. 


Judging  from  the  external  appearance  of  this 
tower,  and  its  situation  in  respect  to  Zion  and  the  an¬ 
cient  temple,  it  early  occurred  to  us,  that  the  antique 
lower  part  of  it  was  very  probably  a  remnant  of  the 
tower  ofHippicus  erected  by  Herod ;  which,  as  Josephus 
informs  us,  was  left  standing  by  Titus,  when  he  de¬ 
stroyed  the  city.3  This  impression  was  strengthened 
as  we  daily  passed  and  repassed  the  fortress,  and  be¬ 
came  more  at  home  in  the  topography  of  the  city; 
and  especially  was  this  the  case,  after  we  had  dis¬ 
covered  the  remains  of  the  ancient  bridge  connected 
with  the  temple.  We  now  repaired  to  the  citadel,  as 


1)  So  Marin.  Sanut.  A.  D.  1321, 
Seer.  fid.  Cruc.  III.  7.  2.  F.  Fabri 
in  1483 ;  Reissb.  p.  245. 

2)  Pisanum  Castellum ,  Pisano- 
rum  Castrum ,  Adrichomius,  p. 

156.  Cotovicus  in  1598,  Itin.  p. 
279— The  use  of  this  name  ap¬ 
pears  to  have  grown  up  in  the  six¬ 
teenth  century.  I  find  it  first  in 
the  Itinerary  of’  B.  Salignac  who 
travelled  in  A.  D.  1522,  (Tom.  VII. 
c.  1,)  from  whom  Adrichomius 


quotes  it ;  and  also  in  Hellfrich, 
A.  D.  1565,  Reissb.  p.  717  j 
Zuallardo,  A.  D.  1586,  p.  261 ; 
Cotovicus,  as  above ;  Sandys  in 
A.  D.  1610,  p.  123,  etc. 

3)  Joseph.  B.  J.  VII.  1.  1. — I 
was  not  aware  at  the  time,  that  the 
same  suggestion  had  been  made  on 
similar  grounds,  by  Scholz,  de  Gol - 
getfhae  situ,  p.  8.  See  also  Rau- 
mer’s  Palastina,  edit.  2.  p.  349. 
Schubert’s  Reise,  II.  p.  532. 


456  JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES.  [Sec.  VII. 

already  related;1  and,  from  a  careful  inspection  and 
measurements,  found  our  former  impressions  con¬ 
firmed. 

This  tower  has  been  built  up  at  the  top  like  the 
other  towers,  in  later  times ;  and  is  of  about  the  same 
altitude  as  the  rest.  It  is  quadrangular,  though  not  a 
square  ;  the  eastern  side  measuring  56  feet  4  inches ; 
and  the  southern  side,  70  feet  3  inches.  The  bearings 
of  the  sides,  taken  from  the  S.  E.  corner,  are  N.  11° 
W.  and  W.  11°  S.  The  height  of  the  antique  portion 
is  40  feet,  but  there  is  much  rubbish  in  the  fosse  at 
the  bottom ;  and  an  allowance  must  be  made  of  from 
5  to  10  feet  more  on  this  account.  The  large  stones 
of  which  this  part  is  built,  have  evidently  never  been 
disturbed  ;  they  have  neither  been  thrown  down  nor 
relaid  ;  and  the  general  impression  which  they  make 
upon  the  beholder,  is  precisely  like  that  of  the  remains 
of  the  ancient  walls  around  the  temple.  One  of  these 
stones  measured  9f  feet  long,  4^  feet  broad,  and  3  feet 
10  inches  high ;  another,  10  feet  2  inches  long,  4  feet 
1  inch  high ;  a  third,  12f  feet  long,  3  feet  5  inches 
broad.  They  are  therefore  smaller  than  the  stones  of 
the  temple-walls ;  and  although  like  them  bevelled, 
yet  the  rest  of  the  surface  is  only  roughly  hewn. 
These  two  circumstances  indicate  a  less  massive  and 
less  careful  style  of  architecture  ;  and  probably  imply 
a  later  date. 

The  entrance  of  the  present  tower  is  in  the  west¬ 
ern  side,  about  half  way  up,  in  the  upper  or  modern 
part.  To  the  lower  or  antique  part  there  is  no  known 
nor  visible  entrance,  either  from  above  or  below ;  and 
no  one  knows  of  any  room  or  space  in  it.  The  officer 
who  accompanied  us,  said  there  was  a  tradition  among 
them,  that  there  was  formerly  an  underground  pas¬ 
sage  leading  to  it ;  but  no  one  knew  any  thing  of  it 

1)  See  above,  p.  361. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOWER  OF  PHASAELUS,  ETC. 


457 


now. — We  made  all  our  measurements  in  the  presence 
of  the  soldiers  ;  and  some  of  them  even  went  so  far  as 
to  assist  us. 

All  these  circumstances,  compared  with  the  ac¬ 
count  of  Josephus,  and  taking  into  view  the  conjec¬ 
tural  and  exaggerated  nature  of  his  statements,  tally 
well  enough  with  the  description  of  Hippicus ;  while 
the  position  of  the  tower  and  the  apparent  solidity  of 
the  antique  part,  leave  little  room  to  doubt  of  its 
identity. 

Towers  of  Phasaelus  and  Mariamne.  Josephus 
describes  also  two  other  towers,1  built  by  Herod  in 
the  same  general  form,  but  of  somewhat  larger  dimen¬ 
sions  ;  one  called  Phasaelus  after  his  friend,  and  the 
other  Mariamne  after  his  favourite  wife.  They  stood 
not  far  from  Hippicus,  on  the  first  or  ancient  wall, 
which  ran  from  the  latter  tower  eastward  to  the  tem¬ 
ple,  along  the  northern  brow  of  Zion.  This  brow 
was  here  thirty  cubits  above  the  valley  of  the  Tyro- 
poeon,  and  added  greatly  to  the  apparent  height  of 
the  towers.  Connected  with  these  towers  and  Hip- 
picus,  was  the  royal  castle  or  palace  of  the  first  Herod, 
which  was  enclosed  by  the  said  wall  on  the  North, 
and  on  the  other  sides  by  a  wall  thirty  cubits  high. 
The  whole  was  finished  with  great  strength  and  re¬ 
gal  splendour ;  and  furnished  with  halls,  and  galleries, 
and  cisterns,  and  apartments  without  number.2 

But  of  all  this  strength  and  splendour  not  a  vestige 
now  remains,  except  the  lower  solid  part  of  Hippicus,  as 
above  described.  Titus,  indeed,  on  beholding  the  mas¬ 
sive  nature  of  these  works,  gave  orders  to  let  these 
three  towers  be  left  standing,  as  memorials  to  posterity 
of  the  impregnable  nature  of  the  fortifications,  which 
Roman  valour  had  been  able  to  subdue.3  But  not 


1)  B.  J.  V.  4.  3,  4. 

2)  Ibid.  V.  4.  4. 

VOL.  I. 


58 


3)  Ibid.  VI.  9.  1.  VII.  1.  1. 


458 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VH. 


improbably  Adrian,  while  he  retained  the  foundations 
of  Hippicus  within  his  fortress,  may  have  demolished 
the  remains  of  the  others  for  the  sake  of  their  materials. 

The  Tower  Psephinos.  Josephus  describes  a  fourth 
tower,  called  Psephinos,  situated  overagainst  Hippicus 
and  the  other  towers  towards  the  North,  at  the  N.  W. 
corner  of  the  third  or  exterior  wall  of  the  city.1  This 
would  seem  to  have  been  built  by  Agrippa,  or  at  least 
in  connection  with  the  third  or  later  wall.  It  was  of 
an  octagonal  form,  70  cubits  high ;  and  from  it  could 
be  seen  Arabia  towards  the  rising  sun,  and  the  inher¬ 
itance  of  the  Hebrews  quite  to  the  sea.2  All  this  shows 
that  this  tower  must  have  stood  upon  the  high  swell 
of  ground  which  extends  up  N.  N.  W.  from  the  N.  W. 
corner  of  the  present  city.  Here,  at  the  distance  of 
700  feet  from  that  corner,  on  the  highest  part  of  the 
ridge,  (which  indeed  is  higher  than  Zion,)  are  traces 
of  ancient  substructions,  apparently  of  towers  or  other 
fortifications,  extending  along  the  high  ground  for  650 
feet  further  in  the  same  direction.  This  must  always 
have  been  an  important  spot  in  every  siege  of  the  city ; 
and  although  none  of  these  substructions  may  perhaps 
be  actually  those  of  Psephinos  ;  yet,  in  connection  with 
the  traces  of  walls,  of  which  I  shall  speak  hereafter, 
they  serve  to  render  it  probable,  that  the  tower  in 
question  stood  somewhere  in  this  vicinity. 

VII.  ANCIENT  AND  LATER  WALLS. 

We  have  thus  ascertained  two  fixed  points  in  the 
ancient  topography  of  the  city,  viz.  the  tower  of  Hip¬ 
picus  and  the  temple.  At  the  former  of  these  Josephus 
makes  all  the  walls  of  the  city  begin ;  while  they  all 

1)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  4.  2,  3.  of  Olives  ;  and  much  less  could  it 

2)  This  must  of  course  mean  be  seen  from  any  tower,  or  any 
the  Dead  Sea.  The  Mediterra-  part  of  the  walls,  around  Jerusa- 
nean  is  not  visible  from  the  Mount  lem. 


ANCIENT  WALLS. 


Sec.  VIL] 


459 


terminated  at  or  near  the  latter.  An  outline  of  their 
several  courses  has  already  been  given.1 

First  or  earliest  Wall.  We  follow  again  the  order 
of  Josephus.2  The  first  and  most  ancient  wall,  begin¬ 
ning  at  Hippicus  on  the  North,  ran  first  (eastward) 
along  the  northern  brow  of  Zion  and  so  across  the 
valley  to  the  western  side  of  the  temple-area.  In  this 
wall  were  the  other  two  towers  Phasaelus  and  Mari- 
amne;  and  adjacent  to  it  on  the  South  were  the  pa¬ 
lace  of  Herod,  the  Xystus,  and  the  bridge  leading  from 
the  upper  city  to  the  temple.  The  length  of  this  wail, 
between  Hippicus  and  the  temple,  as  near  as  we  could 
estimate  by  paces,  must  have  been  about  630  yards. 

From  the  tower  of  Hippicus  again,  this  first  or  an¬ 
cient  wall  on  the  West  ran  (southwards)  along  the 
western  brow  of  Zion,  through  a  place  called  Bethso 
to  the  Gate  of  the  Essenes.  Both  these  are  now  un¬ 
known.  Thence  it  turned  along  on  the  South  over 
Siloam ;  and  bending  round  on  the  East  to  Solomon’s 
Pool  and  the  place  called  Ophla,  it  joined  itself  to 
the  eastern  portico  of  the  temple.3  This  account  is 
not  very  definite ;  and  whether  any  traces  of  this  wall 
remain,  is  doubtful.  Along  the  western  brow  of  Zion, 
outside  of  the  present  city,  is  a  narrow  higher  ridge, 
which  may  not  improbably  be  composed  of  rubbish 
and  the  foundations  of  the  ancient  wall.  Q,uite  at 
the  S.  W.  corner  of  Zion  also,  just  below  the  brow, 
we  found  detached  ledges  of  rock  scarped  in  several 
places,  as  if  they  had  once  formed  part  of  the  founda¬ 
tion  of  the  wall ;  and  these  we  could  trace  for  some 
distance  eastward.  We  were  told  also,  that  in  dig¬ 
ging  deeply  for  the  foundations  of  the  new  barracks, 
just  South  of  the  castle,  many  remains  of  walls  and 
buildings  had  been  discovered ;  but  we  were  too  late 

1)  See  above,  p.  409,  seq.  3)  See  Note  1,  on  page  411. 

2)  B.  J.  V.  4.  2. 


460 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VH 


to  examine  this  point  ourselves  ;  the  excavations  hav¬ 
ing  been  already  filled  up. — From  a  remark  of  Benja¬ 
min  of  Tudela,  about  A.  D.  1165,  it  would  seem  that 
traces  of  some  part  of  the  ancient  wall  of  Zion  were 
visible  in  his  day.1 

In  respect  to  the  wall  upon  the  eastern  side,  from 
Siloam  to  the  temple,  the  question  arises,  whether  it 
so  ran  as  to  include  the  waters  of  Siloam  and  the  foun¬ 
tain  of  the  Virgin  within  the  city.  On  this  point  there 
is  nothing  very  definite  in  Josephus  or  elsewhere ;  hut 
it  seems  hardly  probable,  that  the  wall  should  have 
been  carried  close  along  by  the  only  living  fountains 
in  the  whole  region  of  the  city,  and  yet  exclude  them. 
It  would  seem  too,  from  a  passing  notice  of  Josephus, 
that  the  city  extended  quite  down  to  Siloam  ;  and  that 
there  was  a  wall  or  fortification  around  that  fountain.2 
This  is  also  more  distinctly  evident  from  the  language 
of  Nehemiah.3  From  Siloam  the  wall  ran  to  the  pool 
or  reservoir  of  Solomon ;  and  this  cannot  well  have  been 
any  other  than  the  fountain  of  the  Virgin,  which  is  deep 
and  excavated  in  the  rock.  At  least  there  is  nothing 
else  in  all  this  quarter  which  answers  to  that  pool ; 
nor  is  there  any  other  passage  in  Josephus  which  can 
be  applied  to  this  ancient  fountain.4  The  eastern  wall 
then  probably  ran  along  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat; 
or  else,  crossing  the  point  of  the  narrow  ridge  N.  E. 
of  Siloam,  swept  down  into  that  valley  so  as  to  include 
the  fountain.5  Then,  passing  by  Ophla  (Ophel),  it 
ascended  and  terminated  at  the  eastern  portico  of  the 
temple.  This  circumstance  serves  to  show,  that  the 
wall  did  not  run  along  the  brow  of  the  ridge  above  the 


1)  Benj.  de  Tud.  par  Baratier, 
I.  p.  94. 

2)  B.  J.  VI.  7.  2.  VI.  8.  5. 

3)  Nehem.  iii.  15. 

4)  This  is  not  improbably  the 

K  King’s  pool”  of  Nehem.  ii.  14. 


5)  On  the  narrow  ridge  N.  of 
Siloam  and  S.  of  the  temple,  at 
the  distance  of  960  feet  from  the 
city  wall,  are  scarped  rocks,  appa¬ 
rently  the  foundations  of  a  wall  or 
some  other  like  structure. 


Sec.  VII.] 


ANCIENT  FIRST  WALL. 


461 


valley ;  for  in  that  case  it  could  have  terminated  only 
on  the  southern  side  of  the  temple,  and  not  upon  the 
eastern.  The  third  wall  too,  coming  from  the  North 
towards  the  temple,  is  said  to  terminate,  not  at  the 
temple  itself,  hut  at  this  ancient  wall  in  the  valley  of 
the  Kidron.1 — Hence,  the  place  Ophel  would  appear 
to  have  been  situated  on  the  South  of  the  temple,  per¬ 
haps  extending  down  towards  the  fountain  of  the  Vir¬ 
gin.  It  was  inhabited  by  the  Nethinims,  who  per¬ 
formed  the  menial  offices  of  the  temple  and  therefore 
dwelt  in  its  vicinity.2 

In  the  account  of  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus, 
it  appears,  as  we  have  seen,  that  after  the  Romans 
had  got  possession  of  the  lower  city,  the  temple,  and 
all  the  tract  South  of  it  as  far  as  to  Siloam,  they  were 
yet  unable  to  enter  the  upper  city,  into  which  the 
Jews  had  withdrawn  themselves.3  We  are  therefore 
under  the  necessity  of  supposing  a  wall  along  the 
eastern  brow  of  Zion,  above  the  Tyropoeon,  extending 
from  the  Xystus  probably  to  a  point  near  Siloam.4 
Such  a  wall  is  not  mentioned  by  Josephus  or  any 
other  writer ;  but  the  circumstsnces  of  the  case  obvi¬ 
ously  imply  its  existence.5 

Secoxid  Wall .  Josephus’  description  of  the  second 
wall  is  very  short  and  unsatisfactory.  It  began  at  the 
gate  called  Gennath  in  the  first  wall,  and,  encircling 
only  the  tract  lying  North,  extended  to  Antonia.6 
This  Gate  of  Gennath  in  the  first  wall  doubtless 
was  near  the  tower  of  Hippicus;  and  was  prob- 


1)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  4.  2. 

2)  Nehem.  iii.  26,  27.  xi.  21. 
Comp.  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  6.  1. 

3)  Joseph.  B.  J.  VI.  6.  2,  3.  VI. 
7.  2. 

4)  Comp.  Joseph.  B.  J.  VI.  8.  5. 

5)  In  2  Chr.  xxxiii.  14,  king 

Manasseh  is  said  to  have  “  com¬ 
passed  about  Ophel,  and  raised  it 
up  a  very  great  height.”  May  it 


not  have  been  the  case,  that  the 
more  ancient  wall  on  this  side  in¬ 
cluded  only  Zion ;  while  this  wall 
of  Manasseh  ran,  as  described  by 
Josephus,  from  Siloam  by  Solo¬ 
mon’s  Pool  to  the  eastern  side  of 
the  temple  ? 

6)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  4.  2,  x  v  *- 
X  ov  /If  vo  V  ()k  to  7t{)ood.Qy.riov  xXi- 
/icc  /iovov,  arijft,  fif'/Qt  xit?  ‘jlvxm’fas. 


462 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


ably  not  included  within  the  second  wall,  in  order 
to  allow  a  direct  passage  between  the  upper  city  and 
the  country.1  The  two  extremities  of  this  wall  are 
therefore  given ;  hut  its  course  between  these  points 
is  a  matter  of  some  difficulty  to  determine. 

Did  this  wall  perhaps  run  from  its  beginning  near 
the  tower  of  Hippicus  on  a  straight  course  to  the  for¬ 
tress  Antonia?  This  question  I  feel  compelled  to 
answer  in  the  negative,  for  several  reasons.  First, 
the  express  language  of  Josephus,  that  it  took  a  circu¬ 
lar  course.  Secondly,  the  Pool  of  Hezekiah,  which  is 
of  high  antiquity  and  lay  within  the  ancient  city, 
must  then  have  been  excluded.  Thirdly,  the  whole 
space  included  in  the  lower  city,  would  in  this  way 
have  been  reduced  to  a  small  triangle,  of  about  600 
yards  on  the  South  side  and  some  400  yards  on  the 
East  side.  And  lastly,  this  wall,  built  for  the  defence 
of  this  part  of  the  city,  would  thus  have  passed  ob¬ 
liquely  across  the  very  point  of  the  hill  Akra,  and  have 
been  overlooked  and  commanded  on  the  West  by 
every  other  part  of  the  same  hill. 

These  reasons  constrain  me  to  suppose,  that  the 
second  wall  ran  first  from  near  Hippicus  northwards 
across  the  higher  and  more  level  part  of  Akra ;  and 
then  sweeping  round  to  the  valley  between  Akra  and 
Bezetha,  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  Da¬ 
mascus  Gate,  either  followed  that  valley  down  to  the 
corner  of  Antonia,  or  else  perhaps  took  the  same  di¬ 
rection  across  the  high  ground  of  Bezetha ;  although 
the  whole  of  this  latter  hill  certainly  was  not  included 
by  it. — In  favour  of  this  general  hypothesis,  we  have 
not  only  the  express  language  of  Josephus,  as  above 
quoted,  and  the  fact  that  it  removes  all  the  difficulties 

1)  It  must  have  been  on  the  however  have  been  far  distant ; 
East  of  Hippicus,  for  the  third  wall  because  that  part  of  Zion  was  then 
began  at  that  tower.  It  could  not  high  and  steep.  Jos.  B.  J.  V.  4.  4. 


Sec.  VIL] 


ANCIENT  SECOND  WALL. 


463 


just  enumerated  as  incident  to  a  straight  course  ;  but 
it  also  receives  some  support  from  another  incidental 
remark  of  the  Jewish  historian.  Having  described 
the  manner  in  which  the  Romans,  after  many  fierce 
assaults,  got  possession  of  the  second  wall,  he  informs 
us,  that  Titus  immediately  caused  all  the  northern  part 
to  be  thrown  down ;  but  placed  troops  in  the  towers 
along  the  southern  part.  Had  the  wall  run  in  a  direct 
course  from  Hippicus  to  Antonia,  the  writer  could 
well  have  spoken  only  of  the  eastern  and  western 
parts.1 

The  same  hypothesis  seems  to  receive  further  con¬ 
firmation  from  a  fact  which  we  noticed  near  the 
Damascus  Gate ;  and  which  apparently  has  not  been 
mentioned  by  any  writer.  Every  traveller  has  proba¬ 
bly  observed  the  large  ancient  hewn  stones,  which  lie 
just  in  the  inside  of  that  gate  towards  the  East.  In 
looking  at  these  one  day,  and  passing  around  them, 
we  were  surprised  to  find  there  a  square  dark  room 
adjacent  to  the  wall;  the  sides  of  which  are  entirely 
composed  of  stones  having  precisely  the  character  of 
those  still  seen  at  the  corners  of  the  temple-area, — 
large,  bevelled,  with  the  whole  surface  hewn  smooth, 
and  thus  exhibiting  an  earlier  and  more  careful  style 
of  architecture  than  those  remaining  in  the  tower  of 
Hippicus.  Connected  with  this  room  on  the  West  side 
is  a  winding  staircase,  leading  to  the  top  of  the  wall, 


I)  I  owe  to  a  friend  the  sugges¬ 
tion,  that  this  second  wall  may 
have  been  that  mentioned  by  Jose¬ 
phus,  as  having  been  built  in  the 
time  of  the  Maccabees  in  order  to 
cut  off  the  Syrian  fortress  (dxQa) 
from  the  city  and  from  the  temple. 
This  fortress,  according  to  Jose¬ 
phus,  stood  on  Akra  overagainst 
the  temple ;  and  the  wall  was 
drawn  through  the  midst  of  the 
city ;  Joseph.  Antiq.  XIII.  5.  11. 
But  according  to  the  writer  of  the 


first  Book  ofMaccabees,  the  fortress 
was  in  the  city  of  David,  on  Zion; 
and  a  high  wall  or  bulwark  (firpog 
fdya)  was  erected  between  it  and 
the  city ;  1  Macc.  xii.  35 — 37. 

The  account  of  Josephus  must 
therefore  be  regarded  as  doubtful ; 
and  further,  the  wall  thus  built 
seems  at  any  rate  to  have  been 
only  temporary.  See  Crome,  art. 
Jerusalem ,  p.  291,  seq.  in  Ersch  and 
Gruber’s  Encyclopadie.  See  also 
above,  p.  410,  Note  2. 


464 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


the  sides  of  which  are  of  the  same  character.  Follow¬ 
ing  out  this  discovery,  we  found  upon  the  western  side 
of  the  gate,  though  further  from  it,  another  room  of 
precisely  the  same  kind,  corresponding  in  all  respects 
to  that  upon  the  eastern  side ;  except  that  it  had  been 
much  more  injured  in  building  the  present  wall,  and 
is  in  part  broken  away.  Of  the  stones,  one  measured 
7f  feet  long  by  3^  feet  high ;  and  another  6^  feet  long 
by  a  like  height.  Some  of  them  are  much  disinte¬ 
grated  and  decayed;  but  they  all  seem  to  be  lying  in 
their  original  places,  as  if  they  had  never  been  dis¬ 
turbed  or  moved  from  the  spot  where  they  were  first 
fitted  to  each  other. — The  only  satisfactory  conjecture 
which  I  can  form  respecting  these  structures  is,  that 
they  were  ancient  towers,  of  a  date  anterior  to  the 
time  of  Herod,  and  probably  the  guard-houses  of  an 
ancient  gate  upon  this  spot.  This  gate  could  have  be¬ 
longed  only  to  the  second  w^all.1 

Except  these,  no  traces  whatever  of  the  second 
wall  are  visible,  so  far  as  we  could  discover.  Heaps 
of  rubbish  out  of  various  centuries,  and  modern  houses, 
cover  the  whole  ground.2 

Third  Wall.  This  began  also  at  Hippicus  ;3  ran 
northwards  as  far  as  to  the  tower  Psephinos ;  then  pass¬ 
ed  down  opposite  the  sepulchre  of  Helena ;  and  being 
carried  along  through  the  royal  sepulchres,  turned  at 


1)  Another  conjecture  is  indeed 
ossible,  viz.  that  when  Adrian  re¬ 
mit  the  city,  the  Romans  may 

have  taken  stones  from  the  ruins 
of  the  temple  and  built  these  tow¬ 
ers.  But  this  seems  inconsistent 
with  the  style  of  architecture,  the 
evident  fitting  of  the  stones  to  each 
other,  and  also  with  their  decay  ap¬ 
parently  in  their  original  places. 
Nor  is  such  a  conjecture  supported 
by  any  thing  analogous  in  other 
parts  of  the  city. 

2)  In  describing  the  siege  of  Je¬ 


rusalem  by  Herod,  before  the  third 
wall  was  built,  Josephus  speaks 
also  of  a  first  and  second  wall ; 
Antiq.  XIV.  16.  2.  But  his  first 
wall  there  is  evidently  that  to 
which  the  besiegers  first  came,  and 
which  they  first  took,  viz.  the  se¬ 
cond  wall  of  the  text  above,  which 
was  then  the  exterior  wall  on  this 
part.  By  the  second  wall  in  the 
same  passage,  he  obviously  means 
the  wall  around  the  court  of  the 
temple. 

3)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  4.  2. 


Sec.  VII.] 


ANCIENT  THIRD  WALL. 


465 


the  corner  tower  by  the  Fuller’s  monument,  and  ended 
by  making  a  junction  with  the  ancient  wall  in  the 
valley  of  the  Kidron.  This  wall  was  commenced  by 
the  elder  Agrippa  under  the  emperor  Claudius ;  but 
he  desisted  from  it  for  fear  of  offending  that  emperor ; 
and  it  was  afterwards  carried  on  and  completed  by 
the  Jews  themselves,  though  on  a  scale  of  less  strength 
and  magnificence.1  Before  the  erection  of  this  wall, 
the  buildings  of  the  city  had  extended  themselves  far 
to  the  North,  covering  also  the  hill  Bezetha  ;  and  were 
“  wholly  naked”  of  defence. 

The  tower  Psephinos,  as  we  have  seen,  must  have 
stood  upon  the  high  ground  N.  N.  W.  of  the  N.  W. 
corner  of  the  modern  city.  The  tomb  of  Helena,  if 
not  identical  with  the  present  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  (as 
is  most  probable,)  was  doubtless  near  them.2  The 
wall  is  not  said  to  have  been  carried  so  far  as  this 
monument ;  but  only  passed  opposite  or  overagainst 
it.  Of  the  other  points  mentioned,  nothing  definite  is 
known.  The  conclusion  is  a  probable  one,  that  the 
wall  passed  from  Psephinos  in  an  easterly  or  north¬ 
easterly  direction  to  the  brow  of  the  Valley  of  Jeho- 
shaphat ;  and  thence  along  that  valley,  until  it  met  the 
ancient  wall  coming  up  from  the  South  on  the  East 
of  the  temple. 

In  correspondence  with  this  conclusion,  we  sup¬ 
pose  that  we  found  traces  of  the  foundations  of  Agrip- 
pa’s  wall  on  its  N.  W.  part.  I  first  came  upon  them 
accidentally,  in  returning  one  evening  with  Mr.  Whiting 
from  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings  along  the  path  leading 
up  to  the  Yafa  Gate.  A  few  days  after,  in  passing 
the  same  way  with  Messrs.  Smith  and  Lanneau,  we 

1)  As  Claudius  ascended  the  definitely  fixed.  It  was  begun  ten 
throne  in  A.  D.  41,  and  Agrippa  or  twelve  years  after  our  Lord’s 
is  generally  held  to  have  died  in  crucifixion. 

A.  D.  44,  the  date  of  the  com-  2)  See  “  Tombs  of  the  Kings,” 
mencement  of  this  wall  is  pretty  further  on. 

Vol.  I.  59 


466 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


examined  them  more  leisurely.  On  the  East  of  the 
said  path,  in  the  field  about  half  way  between  those 
tombs  and  the  N.  W.  corner  of  the  city,  we  noticed 
foundations,  which  belonged  very  distinctly  to  the 
third  wall ;  consisting  of  large  hewn  blocks  of  stone, 
of  a  character  corresponding  to  other  works  of  those 
ages.  On  the  right  of  the  path,  and  running  up  the 
hill  in  a  line  with  the  above,  were  other  similar  foun¬ 
dations  ;  and  still  further  up  were  stones  of  the  like 
kind  apparently  displaced.  By  following  the  general 
direction  of  these,  and  of  several  scarped  rocks  which 
had  apparently  been  the  foundations  of  towers  or  the 
like,  we  succeeded  in  tracing  the  wall  in  zigzags  in 
a  westerly  course  for  much  of  the  way  to  the  top  of 
the  high  ground.  Here  are  the  evident  substructions 
of  towers  or  other  fortifications,  extending  for  some 
distance  ;  and  from  them  to  the  N.  W.  corner  of  the 
city,  the  foundation  of  the  ancient  wall  is  very  dis¬ 
tinctly  visible  along  the  hard  surface  of  the  ground. 
Within  the  corner  of  the  modern  walls  is  also  a  trace 
of  the  ancient  one ;  to  which  we  shall  recur  again 
presently.1 

The  next  day,  April  28th,  we  took  measurements 
of  these  foundations,  so  far  as  we  could  determine  the 
various  points,  as  follows ;  beginning  at  the  N.  W.  cor¬ 
ner  of  the  city. 


1.  N.  26°  W.  700  feet. 

2.  N.  20°  W.  650 

3.  N.  10°  E.  336 

4.  N.  100 

5.  E.  400 

6.  N.  20°  E.  465 

7.  N.  75°  E.  264 


To  the  foundations  of  a  large  tower. 

Across  other  foundations  of  towers,  etc. 

To  another  point ;  the  intervening  wall  not 
traceable. 

To  foundations,  etc. 

To  the  path. 

Along  the  path. 

To  the  end  of  the  large  hewn  stones  first  seen. 


In  the  courses  No.  5  and  6,  there  was  some  uncer¬ 
tainty.  Hewn  rocks  lay  to  the  West  in  a  line  with 


1)  See  below,  under  “Walls  of  the  Middle  Agee.” 


Sec.  VII.] 


WALLS  OF  ADRIAN. 


467 


the  course  No.  7.  We  therefore  returned  to  the  end 
of  No.  4,  and  measured  new  courses  as  follows : 

5.  N.  40°  E.  To  hewn  rocks,  apparently  the  foundation  of  a 

tower. 

6.  N.  75°  E.  200  feet.  To  the  path,  at  the  end  of  the  former  No.  6. 

7.  N.  75°  E.  264  To  the  hewn  stones,  as  before. 

Beyond  this  point  we  were  unable  to  trace  any 
thing ;  unless  perhaps  the  foundation  of  a  tower  hewn 
in  the  rock  towards  the  N.  E.  but  quite  uncertain.  A 
like  search  along  the  brow  of  the  Valley  of  Jehosha- 
pliat,  was  also  in  vain.  Indeed,  the  level  ground  on 
this  side  of  the  city  has  now  been  ploughed  over  for 
ages,  and  the  stones  carried  off  or  thrown  together 
to  form  terraces ;  so  that  all  traces  of  former  founda¬ 
tions  have  nearly  disappeared.  Many  ancient  cisterns 
however  still  remain  ;  and  marble  tesserae  are  often 
picked  up. 

Circumference  of  the  Ancient  City.  The  ancient 
southern  wall,  we  know,  included  the  whole  of  Zion ; 
the  eastern  wall  ran  probably  along  or  near  the  bot¬ 
tom  of  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat;  w  hile,  as  we  have 
now  seen,  the  northern  wall  passed  some  forty  or  fifty 
rods  N.  of  the  present  city.  Hence  I  am  disposed  to 
allow  full  credit  to  the  assertion  of  Josephus,  that  the 
ancient  city  was  33  stadia  in  circumference,  equiva¬ 
lent  to  nearly  31  geogr.  miles.  The  present  circum¬ 
ference,  as  we  have  seen,  is  about  2t  geogr.  miles ; 
but  the  extent  of  Zion  now  without  the  walls,  and 
that  of  this  tract  upon  the  North,  are  sufficient  to  ac¬ 
count  for  the  difference. 

Walls  of  Adrian ,  and  of  the  Middle  Ages.  The 
new  city  of  TElia,  erected  by  Adrian  on  the  ruins  of 
Jerusalem,  would  appear  to  have  occupied  very  nearly 
the  limits  of  the  present  city.  The  portion  of  Zion  which 
now  lies  outside,  would  seem  then  also  to  have  been 
excluded;  for  Eusebius  and  Cyrill  in  the  fourth  century 


468 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


speak  of  the  denunciation  of  the  prophet  as  being  ful¬ 
filled,  and  describe  Zion  as  “  a  ploughed  field.”1  On 
the  North,  the  extent  of  the  second  wall  and  the  re¬ 
mains  of  the  ancient  gate  formed  an  appropriate  boun¬ 
dary;  the  wall  being  carried  across  to  the  brow  of 
the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  on  the  East,  so  as  to  in¬ 
clude  the  hill  Bezetha,  instead  of  bending  southward, 
as  anciently,  to  the  corner  of  Antonia. 

The  walls  of  Adrian  appear  to  have  remained  until 
the  times  of  the  crusaders ;  haying  probably  been  more 
or  less  repaired  and  strengthened  by  the  Muhamme- 
dans,  after  they  became  masters  of  the  city.  About 
A.  D.  697,  Arculfus  speaks  of  the  southern  wall  as 
running  across  the  northern  part  of  Zion  ;2  and  when 
the  crusaders  came,  they  also  found  the  greater  part 
of  Zion  still  without  the  city.  When  they  invested 
Jerusalem,  the  Count  of  Toulouse  pitched  his  camp  on 
this  side,  between  the  city  and  the  church  of  Zion, 
which  was  a  bow-shot  distant  from  the  wall.3 

Thus  from  the  time  of  Adrian  onward,  even  to  our 
day,  the  limits  of  the  Holy  City  appear  to  have  under¬ 
gone  no  important  change.  But  the  walls  themselves 
have  been  subjected  to  many  vicissitudes.  Towards 
the  close  of  the  period  in  which  the  crusaders  had 
possession  of  the  city,  the  walls  in  several  parts  had 
fallen  down  from  age ;  and  on  this  account  a  subscrip¬ 
tion  was  entered  into  in  A.  D.  1178,  among  the  princes 
of  Europe  both  secular  and  ecclesiastical,  in  order  to 
rebuild  them ;  they  engaging  to  pay  a  sum  of  money 


l)Mic.  iii.  12.  Euseb.  Demonstr. 
Evangel.  VIII.  3.  p.  406.  Edit.  Co¬ 
lon.  1688,  “  Mons  Sion — per  viros 
Romanos  in  nulla  re  a  reliqua 
regione  diflerens  aratur  et  colitur, 
ut  nos  quoque  inspexerimus  bourn 
opera  locum  arari  et  seminari.” — 
Cyrill.  Hieros.  Catech.  XVI.  18.  |). 
253.  ed.  Touttee:  2iuv  wg  ay  yog 


aQOTQiao&rjciiTai’  7igoXfyojv  to  vvv 

i(p  Tjfiojv  7ih>]{)(i)0-£v.  The  Itin.  Hie¬ 
ros.  also  implies  that  Zion  was 
then  without  the  walls:  “Item 
exeunti  in  Hierusalem,  ut  ascendas 
Sion,”  etc.  See  above,  p.  390. 

2)  Adamnan.  ex  Arculf.  I.  1. 

3)  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  5. 


Sec.  VII.] 


WALLS  OF  THE  MIDDLE  AGES. 


469 


annually  until  the  work  should  he  completed.1  This 
labour  was  probably  in  part  accomplished ;  for  in  A.  D. 
1187  the  city  sustained  a  siege  of  several  weeks,  before 
it  yielded  to  the  power  of  Saladin.  Some  years 
later,  in  the  beginning  of  A.  D.  1192,  Jerusalem  being 
threatened  with  a  siege  by  Richard  of  England,  Sala¬ 
din  spent  the  whole  winter  in  strengthening  the  for¬ 
tifications.  New  walls  and  bulwarks  were  erected, 
and  deep  trenches  cut.  The  Sultan  himself  rode  daily 
around  the  works  to  encourage  the  labourers ;  and 
sometimes  brought  stones  to  them  upon  the  saddle  of 
his  own  horse.  In  like  manner  the  high  officers  and 
learned  men  took  part  in  the  work ;  which  was  com¬ 
pleted  in  six  months,  and  had  all  the  firmness  and 
solidity  of  a  rock.  Indeed  the  fortifications  were  now 
stronger  than  ever  before ;  and  the  population  of  the 
city  increased  greatly.2 

In  A.  D.  1219,  the  Sultan  Melek  el-Mu’adh-dhem 
of  Damascus,  who  now  had  possession  of  Jerusalem, 
ordered  all  the  walls  and  towers  to  be  demolished,  ex¬ 
cept  the  citadel  and  the  enclosure  of  the  mosk ;  in  the 
fear  lest  the  Franks  should  again  become  masters  of 
the  city,  and  thus  find  it  a  place  of  strength.  This 
order  occasioned  great  grief  to  the  Muslim  inhabitants, 
great  numbers  of  whom  abandoned  the  city;  but  it  was 
carried  into  effect  during  that  and  the  following  year.3 
In  this  defenceless  state  the  city  continued,  until  it 
was  again  delivered  over  to  the  Christians  in  conse¬ 
quence  of  the  treaty  with  the  emperor  Frederick  II. 
in  A.  D.  1229 ;  with  the  express  understanding,  ac¬ 
cording  to  Arabian  writers,  that  the  walls  should  not 
be  rebuilt.4  Yet  ten  years  later,  in  A.  D.  1239,  the 


1)  Will.  Tyr.  XXL  25,  “  prop¬ 
ter  nimiam  vetustatem  cum  muri 
jam  ex  parte  corruissent,”  etc. 

2)  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kreuz- 


ziige,  Band  IV.  p.  457.  Band  VI. 
p.  236. 

3)  Wilken  ib.  VI.  pp.  237,  370. 

4)  Wilken  ib.  pp.  478,  480. 


470 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


barons  and  knights  of  the  kingdom  of  Jerusalem  made 
no  scruple  to  break  the  terms  of  the  truce  ;  and  began 
anew  to  build  up  the  walls,  and  erected  a  strong  fort¬ 
ress  on  the  West  of  the  city.1  Their  progress  how¬ 
ever  was  interrupted  by  an  assault  of  the  Emir  David 
of  Kerak,  who  seized  the  city,  strangled  the  Chris¬ 
tian  inhabitants,  and  threw  down  again  not  only  the 
walls  and  the  fortress  just  erected,  but  also  dismantled 
the  Tower  of  David,  which  had  before  been  spared.2 

Four  years  later,  in  A.  D.  1243,  Jerusalem  was 
again  by  treaty  given  over  into  the  hands  of  the  Chris¬ 
tians  without  reserve ;  to  the  great  indignation  of  all 
good  Mussulmans,  who  now  beheld  their  sacred  places 
again  profaned.3  The  fortifications  appear  to  have 
been  immediately  repaired ;  for  they  are  mentioned  as 
existing  in  the  storm  of  the  city  by  the  wild  Kharis- 
mian  hordes  in  the  next  year,  A.  D.  1244  ;4  shortly 
after  which  the  city  reverted  for  the  last  time  into  the 
hands  of  its  Muhammedan  masters,  with  whom  it  has 
remained  unto  the  present  day.5  Of  its  walls  we  have 
no  further  account;  except  the  fact  of  their  having 
been  rebuilt,  as  already  described,  in  A.  D.  1542.6 

These  modern  walls,  as  I  have  already  remarked,7 
appear  to  occupy  the  site  of  the  former  ones ;  a  slight 
deviation  only  being  visible  around  the  N.  W.  corner 
of  the  city.  Here  both  along  the  western  and  north¬ 
ern  sides,  the  remains  of  a  former  wall  may  be  traced 
for  some  distance  on  the  outside,  evidently  belonging 

1)  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kreuzz.  only  a  fable,  which  is  related  by 

VI.  p,  587.  Guaresmius,  and  also  by  Le  Brun 

2)  Ibid.  p.  596.  and  by  Korte,  respecting  the  archi- 

3)  Ibid.  p.  628.  tect  employed  by  the  Sultan  to  build 

4)  Chorosini,  Chorosmini,  Cho-  up  the  present  walls,  viz.  that  he 

warismii ;  ibid.  pp.  631,  634.  Com-  lost  his  head  for  leaving  out  Mount 
ment.  de  Bell.  cruc.  Hist.  p.  202.  Zion.  See  Quaresmius,  II.  p.  41. 

5)  Wilken  Gesch.  der  Kreuzz.  Le  Brun’s  Voyage  etc.  p.  298. 

VI.  p.  646.  Kortens  Reise,  p.  216. 

6)  After  these  historical  notices,  7)  See  above,  p.  384. 

it  is  apparent  that  the  story  can  be 


Sec.  VII.] 


ANCIENT  GATES. 


471 


to  the  times  of  the  crusades.  A  more  important  frag¬ 
ment  of  the  same  wall  lies  on  the  inside,  just  within 
the  N.  W.  corner  of  the  present  walls,  not  far  from 
the  Latin  convent.  It  consists  of  a  large  square  area 
or  platform,  built  up  solidly  of  rough  stones,  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet  in  height,  and  paved  on  the  top.  This 
was  probably  the  former  N.  W.  bastion  of  the  city.1 
At  the  S.  W.  corner  of  this  platform  are  the  remains 
of  a  higher  square  tower,  built  of  small  unhewn  stones 
cemented  together.  All  these  works  seem  to  have 
been  erected  on  the  ruins  of  a  still  older  wall ;  for  at 
the  S.  W.  corner  of  the  mass,  near  the  ground,  are 
three  courses  of  large  bevelled  stones,  rough-hewn, 
passing  into  the  mass  diaognally,  in  such  a  way  as  to 
show  that  they  lay  here  before  the  tower  and  bastion 
were  built.  These  are  probably  remains  of  the  an¬ 
cient  third  wall ;  the  foundations  of  which  we  had 
already  traced  from  near  this  point  on  the  outside  of 
the  city.  These  ancient  stones  bore  from  Hippicus 
N.  36°  W. 

VIII.  ANCIENT  AND  LATER  GATES. 

Ancient  Gates.  In  regard  to  the  gates  of  ancient 
Jerusalem,  there  exists  so  much  uncertainty,  that  it 
would  seem  to  he  a  vain  undertaking  to  investigate 
the  relative  positions  of  them  all.  Of  the  ten  or  twelve 
gates  enumerated  in  the  Book  of  Nehemiah  and  other 
parts  of  the  Old  Testament,  Reland  remarks  with 
truth,  that  it  is  uncertain,  first,  whether  they  all  were 
situated  in  the  external  walls,  or  perhaps  lay  partly 
between  the  different  quarters  of  the  city  itself,  as  is 


1)  Not  improbably  the  “Tan- 
cred’s  Tower”  of  the  crusaders, 
which  according  to  William  of 
Tyre  (VIII.  5)  was  at  the  N.  W. 


angle  of  the  city.  The  present 
tradition  has  transported  it  to  the 
N.  E.  corner;  see  Prokesch  Reise 
etc.  p.  86. 


472 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


common  even  now  in  oriental  cities  ;  secondly,  whether 
some  of  them  were  not  gates  leading  to  the  tem¬ 
ple,  rather  than  out  of  the  city ;  and  again,  whether 
two  or  more  of  the  names  enumerated,  may  not  have 
belonged  to  the  same  gate.1  Indeed,  it  is  certain,  that 
there  must  have  been  gates  forming  a  passage  between 
the  upper  and  lower  city ;  and  we  know  that  there 
were  several  on  the  western  side  of  the  area  of  the 
temple.  There  must  also  probably  have  been  a  gate 
and  way  leading  from  Akra  to  the  quarter  S.  of  the 
temple,  passing  perhaps  beneath  the  bridge.  But  of 
all  those  gates,  who  can  ascertain  the  names  ? 

It  must  however  be  borne  in  mind,  that  all  the 
accounts  of  the  Old  Testament  relate  to  the  city  only 
as  bounded  on  the  N.  by  the  second  wall  of  Josephus. 
There  can  of  course  be  no  allusion  to  any  of  the  gates 
of  the  subsequent  third  wall.  Hence,  for  example, 
the  suggestion  that  the  present  Gate  of  St.  Stephen 
may  correspond  to  the  ancient  Sheep  Gate,  is  wholly 
untenable ;  since  until  the  time  of  Agrippa  no  wall 
existed  in  that  quarter. 

The  chief  passages  relating  to  the  gates  and  walls 
of  the  ancient  city,  are  found  in  the  Book  of  Nehemiah ; 2 
and  these  are  occasionally  illustrated  by  other  inci¬ 
dental  notices.  It  is  obvious  in  the  account  of  the 
rebuilding  of  the  walls  by  Nehemiah,  that  the  descrip¬ 
tion  begins  at  the  Sheep  Gate,  and  proceeds  first 
northwards  and  so  towards  the  left  around  the  city 
till  it  again  terminates  at  the  same  gate.3  This  gives 
the  probable  order  in  which  the  ten  gates  there  men¬ 
tioned  stood ;  and  the  other  two  named  elsewhere  can 
be  easily  inserted.4  But  where  was  the  beginning,  or 

1)  Reland  Pal.  p.  855.  Nehem.  c.  iii.  are  the  following: 

2)  Nehem.  ii.  13-15.  iii.  1-32.  Sheep-gate,  vs.  1,  32  ;  Fish-gate, 

xii.  31-40.  vs.  3  ;  Old-gate,  vs.  6  ;  Valley-gate, 

3)  Nehem.  iii.  1,  32.  vs.  13  ;  Dung-gate,  vs.  14  ;  Foun- 

4)  The  ten  gates  mentioned  in  tain-gate,  vs.  15;  Water-gate,  vs. 


Sec.  VII.] 


ANCIENT  GATES. 


473 


what  the  intervals  between,  or  where  the  positions  of 
the  several  gates  ?  These  are  questions  which  can 
never  be  answered,  except  in  a  general  and  unsatis¬ 
factory  manner. 

Yet  in  regard  to  the  probable  position  of  a  few  of 
the  gates,  we  may  arrive  at  some  more  definite  con¬ 
clusion.  Thus  the  Fountain-gate,  without  much  doubt, 
was  situated  near  to  Siloam;1  and  was  not  improba¬ 
bly  the  same  as  the  u  gate  between  two  walls5 7  by 
which  king  Zedekiah  attempted  to  escape.2  There 
was  also  doubtless  upon  the  northern  side  of  the  city 
a  gate  leading  towards  the  territory  of  Benjamin  and 
Ephraim  ;  and  this  would  naturally  take  the  name  of 
those  tribes.  It  may  very  probably  have  been  the 
ancient  gate,  which  we  found  upon  the  site  of  the  pre¬ 
sent  Damascus  Gate.  The  notices  of  the  Valley-gate 
and  Dung-gate  are  less  distinct.  In  passing  around  the 
city  towards  the  left,  they  are  mentioned  before  reach¬ 
ing  the  Fountain-gate  or  Siloam;  and  are  therefore 
to  be  sought  probably  on  the  western  or  southern 
part  of  Zion.  Now  the  northwestern  corner  of  Zion 
lies  just  at  the  bend  of  the  Valley  of  Gilion  or  upper 
part  of  Hinnom  ;  and  here  would  naturally  be,  and  so 
far  as  we  know  always  has  been,  a  gate, — the  Gen- 
nath  of  Josephus.  Here  probably  stood  the  Valley- 
gate,  overagainst  the  Dragon-fountain  or  Gihon.3  We 
must  look  then  for  the  Dung-gate  on  the  southern  part 
of  Zion  ;  and  as  the  nature  of  the  ground  in  this  part 
does  not  admit  of  frequent  gates,  there  seems  good 


26  ;  Horse-gate,  vs.  28 ;  East-gate, 
vs.  29  ;  Gate  Miplikad,  vs.  31.  Also 
in  xii.  39  we  find  the  Prison-gate, 
perhaps  the  same  with  Miplikad  ; 
and  the  Gate  of  Ephraim.  Then 
again  mention  is  made  of  the 
Corner-gate,  2  Chr.  xxv.  23 ;  and 
the  Gate  of  Benjamin,  Jcr.  xxxvii. 

13.  The  latter  is  probably  the 

Vol.  I.  60 


same  as  the  Gate  of  Ephraim. — 
Josephus  mentions  further  the 
Gate  called  Gennath,  near  the 
tower  of  Hippicus  ;  and  that  of  the 
Essenes  on  the  S.  part  of  the  city  5 
B.  J.  V.  4.2. 

1)  Neh.  iii.  15.  xii.  37. 

2)  2  K.  xxv.  4. 

3)  Neh.  ii.  13. 


474  JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES.  [Sec.  VII. 


reason  for  regarding  it  as  identical  with  the  Gate  of 
the  Essenes  mentioned  by  Josephus.1 

In  this  way  the  course  of  Nehemiah  during  his 
night-excursion  becomes  plain.  Issuing  from  the  Val- 
ley-gate  on  the  West,  he  followed  down  the  Valley  of 
Ilinnom  and  around  to  Siloam  and  the  King’s  (Solo¬ 
mon’s)  Pool,  or  Fountain  of  the  Virgin.  Beyond  this 
the  narrow  valley  was  full  of  ruins,  so  that  there  was 
u  no  place  for  the  beast  that  was  under  him  to  pass.’’ 
He  therefore  went  up  “  by  the  brook”  on  foot,  and 
then  returned  by  the  same  way.2 

Further  than  this,  I  would  not  venture  to  advance. 
The  notices  respecting  the  other  gates  are  too  indefi¬ 
nite  to  enable  us  to  determine  any  thing  more,  than 
that  some  of  them  probably  did  not  belong  to  the  ex¬ 
ternal  city-wall.  Thus  the  Horse-gate  evidently  lay 
between  the  temple  and  the  royal  palace;3  and  the 
W ater-gate  was  apparently  on  the  western  part  of  the 
area  of  the  temple.4 

Gates  of  the  Middle  Ages.  Of  the  gates  erected 
by  Adrian  in  his  new  city  JElia,  we  have  no  account. 
As  however  the  walls  of  that  city  apparently  occupied 
very  nearly  the  same  place  as  the  present  ones,  the 
nature  of  the  ground  renders  it  almost  certain  that 


1)  Josephus  says  the  wall  ran 
from  Hippicus  through  the  place 
called  Bethso  to  the  Gate  of  the 
Essenes,  and  thence  on  the  South 
to  Siloam ;  B.  J.  V.  4.  2.  This 
would  fix  the  probable  site  of  this 
gate  on  the  S.  W.  part  of  Zion. 
The  name  Bethso  ( Btj&ooj )  which 
Josephus  does  not  translate,  seems 
to  be  the  Hebrew  nxvj:  rm,pDung 

place and  not  improbably  marks 
the  spot,  where  the  filth  of  this  part 
of  the  city  was  thrown  down  from 
Zion  into  the  valley  below.  F rom 
this  circumstance,  the  adjacent  gate 
might  naturally  receive  the  synon¬ 
ymous  name  nbrxn  toi2?,d  “Dung- 
gate.” 


2) Nehem.  ii.  13 — 15. 

3)  2  Kings  xi.  16.  2  Chron, 
xxiii.  15. 

4)  Nehem.  viii.  1,  3.  Comp.  iii. 
26. — Of  the  Fish-gate,  Jerome  says 
that  it  led  to  Diospolis  and  Joppa, 
and  of  course  was  on  the  W.  or  N. 
W.  side  of  the  city ;  but  this  is  in¬ 
consistent  with  the  order  in  Nehe¬ 
miah  c.  iii.  See  Hieron.  in  So- 
phon.  i.  10. — The  different  hypo¬ 
theses  respecting  the  ancient  gates 
may  be  seen  in  Bachiene’s  Palast. 
Th.  II.  §  94-107.  Faber’s  Ar- 
chaol.  der  Heb.  I.  p.  336.  Ha- 
melsveld  Bibl.  Geogr.  II.  p.  75,  seq. 
Rosenmueller  Bibl.  Geogr.  II.  ii.  p. 


. 


Sec.  VII.]  GATES  OF  THE  MIDDLE  AGES.  475 

there  must  have  been,  as  now,  one  or  more  gates  on 
the  West,  North,  and  East;  and  probably  also  on 
the  South. 

The  earliest  mention  of  gates  in  the  subsequent 
ages,  is  by  Adamnanus,  from  the  information  of  Ar- 
culfus,  about  A.  D.  697.1  Then  follow  the  notices  of 
both  Christian  and  Arabian  writers  in  the  times  of  the 
crusades  and  later. 

On  the  West  side  there  appears  to  have  been  for¬ 
merly  two  gates.  The  first  and  principal  was  the 
Porta  David ,  Gate  of  David,  mentioned  by  Adamna¬ 
nus,  and  also  by  the  historians  of  the  crusades.2  At 
that  period  it  was  called  by  the  Arabs  Bab  el-Mihrab? 
This  corresponds  to  the  present  Yafa  Gate  or  Bab  el- 
Khulil. — The  second  was  the  Porta  Villae  Fullonis , 
Gate  of  the  Fuller’s  field,  of  Adamnanus.4  It  seems 
to  have  been  the  same  which  Brocardus  calls  Porta 
Judiciaria  in  the  wall  of  those  days,  somewhere  over- 
against  the  church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  leading  to  Silo 
(Neby  Samwil)  and  Gibeon.  Probably  also  it  was  the 
same  which  Arabian  writers  call  Serb.5  There  is  no 
trace  of  it  in  the  present  wall. — There  would  seem 
also  to  have  been  a  small  portal  contiguous  to  the 
Armenian  convent  in  the  S.  W.6 

On  the  North ,  there  were  also  two  gates ;  and  all 
Christian  writers  speak  of  the  principal  one  in  those 
days  as  being  called  the  Gate  of  St.  Stephen.  There 
can  be  no  question  on  this  point;  for  they  all,  from 
Adamnanus  down  to  Rudolf  de  Suchem  (A.  D.  1336 — 


1)  Lib.  I.  1,  “  Portas  bis  ternas, 
quarum  per  circuitum  eivitatis  ordo 
sic  ponitur.  1.  Porta  David  ad 
occidentalem  partem  montis  Sion. 
2.  Porta  villae  Fullonis.  3.  Porta 
S.  Stephani.  4.  Porta  Benjamin. 
5.  Portula,  hoc  est  parvula  porta, 
ab  hac  per  gradus  ad  valletn  Josa- 
phat  descenditur.  6.  Porta  Tecui- 
tis.” 


2)  Gesta  Dei,  etc.  p.  572.  Will. 
Tyr.  VIII.  5. 

3)  Edrisi  about  A.  D.  1150,  ed. 
Jaubert,  I.  p.  341.  Hist,  of  Jerusa¬ 
lem  in  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II.  p.  129. 

4)  So  called  from  Isa.  vii.  3. 

5)  Brocardus,  c.  VIII.  fin.  Mejr 
ed-Din  Hist  of  Jerus.  in  Fundgr. 
des  Or.  II.  p.  129. 

6)  Mejr  ed-Din,  1.  c. 


476 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


50),  mention  this  gate  and  the  place  of  St.  Stephen’s 
martyrdom,  as  upon  the  North  side  of  the  city.1  The 
tradition  of  the  monks  on  this  point,  was  changed  ap¬ 
parently  between  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  and 
that  of  the  fifteenth  century ;  since  they  now,  as  we 
have  seen,  call  the  eastern  gate  of  the  city  by  this 
name,  and  show  the  place  of  martyrdom  near  it.2 
The  same  northern  gate  is  also  sometimes  called  the 
Gate  of  Ephraim,  in  reference  to  its  probable  ancient 
name.3  Arabic  writers  give  it  the  name  of  Bab  ’ Amud 
el-Ohurab  ;4  of  which  the  present  Arabic  form,  Bab 
el-’ Amud,  is  only  a  contraction. — Further  East  was 
the  Porta  Benjaminis ,  Gate  of  Benjamin,5  correspond¬ 
ing  apparently  to  the  present  Gate  of  Herod. 

Towards  the  East  there  seem  to  have  been  also  at 
least  two  gates.  The  northernmost,  corresponding  to 
the  present  Gate  of  St.  Stephen,  is  described  by 
Adamnanus  as  a  “  small  portal  from  which  steps  led 
down  into  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.”  The  crusaders 
called  it  the  Gate  of  Jehoshaphat,  from  the  valley.6 


1)  Adamnanus  1.  c.  Will.  Tyr. 
VIII.  5,  “  porta  quae  hodie  dicitur 
Sancti  Stephani ,  quae  ad  Aquilo- 
nem  respicit.”  IX.  19.  Gesta  Dei, 
etc.  p.  572.  Marin.  Sanut.  III.  14. 
7. — That  Stephen  was  here  stoned 
is  expressly  said;  Will.  Tyr.  VIII. 
2,  “  a  Septentrione — ubi  usque 
hodie  locus  in  quo  protomartyr 
Stephanus  a  Judaeis  lapidatus.” 
Gesta  Dei,  p.  572.  Brocardus  c. 
VI 11.  fin.  Rud.  de  Suchem  in 
Reissb.  des  h.  Landes,  p.  846. 

2)  St.  Stephen’s  Gate  appears 

on  the  East  side  of  the  city,  as  at 

present,  in  the  Journals  of  Steph. 
von  Gumpenberg,  A.  D.  1449; 

Tucher,  A.  D.  1479;  Breydenbach 
andF.  Fabri,  A.  D.  1483,  etc.  See 
Reissb.  des  h.  Landes,  pp.  444,  665, 

111,252. — (Quaresmius  gravely  un¬ 
dertakes  to  remove  the  idea  of  any 
change  of  place,  by  supposing  that 
the  present  gate  formerly  faced  to¬ 


wards  the  North  !  Elucid.  II.  p. 

295. 

3)  Brocardus  c.  VIII.  fin.  Mari- 
nus  Sanutus  calls  it,  probably  er¬ 
roneously,  the  Gnte  of  Benjamin  ; 
de  Secret.  III.  14.  8. 

4)  Edrisi  ed.  Jaubert,  p.  341. 
Hist,  of  Jerus.  in  Fundgr.  des  Or. 
II.  p.  129. 

5)  Adamnanus,  as  above.  Bro¬ 
cardus  c.  VIII.  fin.  The  latter 
writer  calls  it  also  Porta  Anguli. 
Comp.  De  Salignaco,  Tom.  VIII. 
c.  5.  It  is  not  mentioned  by  Edrisi. 
Mejr  ed-Din  in  his  Hist,  of  Jeru¬ 
salem  speaks  here  of  two  gates  ; 
Fundgr.  des  Orients,  II.  p.  129. 

6)  Will.  Tyr.  XI.  1.  Gesta 
Dei  per  Fr.  p.  572.  Benj.  de  Tu- 
dela  par  Barat.  pp.88,  91. — Brocar¬ 
dus  speaks  of  another  gate  further 
North,  which  he  calls  the  Dung- 
gate  ;  c.  VIII.  fin. 


Sec.  VII.] 


GATES  OF  THE  MIDDLE  AGES. 


477 


Arabian  writers  mention  it  as  Bab  el-Usbdt ,  Gate  of 
the  Tribes,  another  form  of  the  modern  Arabic  name 
Bab  es-Subat.1  The  four  lions  sculptured  over  the 
present  gate  on  the  outside,  as  well  as  the  archi¬ 
tecture,  show  that  this  structure  did  not  proceed  from 
the  Muhammedans,  and  must  be  older  than  the  present 
walls.  Not  improbably  the  earlier  “  small  portal”  on 
this  spot,  was  rebuilt  on  a  larger  scale  and  thus  orna¬ 
mented  by  the  Franks,  when  they  built  up  the  walls 
of  the  city,  either  about  A.  D.  1178  or  in  A.  D.  1239.2 — 
The  other  gate  on  this  side  is  the  famous  Golden  Gate, 
Porta  aurea ,  in  the  eastern  wall  of  the  Haram  esh- 
Sherif;  now  called  by  the  Arabs  Bab  ed-Dahariyeh, 
but  formerly  named  by  the  Arabian  writers  Bab  er- 
Rahmeh ,  “  Gate  of  Mercy.”3  The  name  Porta  aurea 
as  applied  to  this  gate,  I  have  not  been  able  to  trace 
back  further  than  to  the  historians  of  the  crusades.4 * 
It  probably  comes  from  some  supposed  connection  with 
one  of  the  ancient  gates  of  the  temple,  which  are  said 
to  have  been  covered  with  gold.6  We  have  seen  above, 
that  it  is  apparently  of  Roman  origin.6  This  gate  was 
already  closed  up  in  the  times  of  the  crusades  ;  but 
was  thrown  open  once  a  year  on  Palm-Sunday,  in 
celebration  of  our  Lord’s  supposed  triumphal  entry 
through  it  to  the  temple.7  It  remains  still  walled  up ; 
because  (according  to  the  Franks)  the  Muhammedans 


1)  Edrisi  ed.  Jaubert,  I.  p.  344. 
Hist,  of  Jerus.  in  Fundgr.  des  Or. 
II.  p.  129. 

2)  See  above,  pp.  468 — 470. 

3)  Edrisi  ed.  Jaubert,  I.  pp.  341, 
344.  Hist  of  Jerus.  in  Fundgr.  des 
Or.  IT.  p.  96. 

4)  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  3.  Gesta 

Dei,  etc.  p.  572. — Quaresmius  pro¬ 
fesses  to  quote  Jerome  lor  the 

name,  but  gives  no  reference 

whatever  ;  Elucid.  II.  p.  336.  The 
name  Porta  aurea  occurs  indeed 
in  Hegesippus  de  Excidio  Hieros. 


lib.  V.  c.  42,  in  the  Biblioth.  Max. 
Patrum,  Tom.  V.  p.  1203.  But 
the  author  is  there  obviously  speak¬ 
ing  of  a  gate  of  the  ancient  interior 
temple  or  fane  itself. 

5)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  5.  3.  It  may 
perhaps  have  been  regarded  as 
the  ancient  Porta  orientalis ;  see 
Lightfoot  Opp.  I  p.  555,  seq. 

6)  See  above,  p.  437. 

7)  Gesta  Dei  par  Francos,  p. 
572.  xxiv.  Edrisi  ed.  Jaubert,  p. 
541. 


4-78 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


believe  that  a  king  is  to  enter  by  it,  who  will  take 
possession  of  the  city  and  become  Lord  of  the  whole 
earth.1  But  Muhammedan  writers  describe  it  as  hav¬ 
ing  been  closed  up  for  the  security  of  the  city  and 
sanctuary;  because  it  is  on  the  side  towards  the 
desert,  and  there  would  be  no  great  advantage  in 
having  it  open.  Some  say  it  was  walled  up  by  Omar ; 
and  will  not  be  opened  again  until  the  coming  of 
Christ.2 

On  the  South  side  were  likewise  two  gates.  Of 
the  easternmost,  the  present  Dung  Gate  of  the  Franks, 
I  find  no  mention  earlier  than  Brocardus,  about  A.  D. 
1283,  who  regards  it  as  the  ancient  Water  Gate.3  It 
may  have  been  the  Porta  Tecuitis  of  Adamnanus.  An 
Arabian  writer  speaks  of  it  in  the  fifteenth  century  as 
the  Bab  el-Mugharibeh,  its  present  native  name.4 — 
Further  West,  between  the  eastern  brow  of  Zion  and 
the  Porta  David  (Yafa  Gate),  there  was  according  to 
Adamnanus,  no  gate  in  his  day.5  Yet  the  crusaders 
found  one  here,  which  they  call  the  Gate  of  Zion, 
corresponding  to  that  which  now  bears  the  same 
name.6  It  is  also  called  by  Arabian  writers,  Bab 
Sahyun  ;7  though  the  present  native  usage  gives  it 
the  name  of  David.8 

Thus  it  appears,  that  before  the  rebuilding  of  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem  by  Suleiman  in  the  sixteenth  cen¬ 
tury,  the  principal  gates  of  the  city  were  much  the 
same  as  at  the  present  day. 


1)  Q,uaresmius  II.  p.  340. 

2)  Hist,  of  Jerusalem  in  Fundgr. 
des  Orients,  II.  p.  96. 

3)  Brocardus  c.  VIII.  fin. 

4)  Hist,  of  Jerus.  1.  c.  p.  129. 

5)  Adamn.  ex.  Arculf.  I.  1. 

6)  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  6, 19.  Gesta 

Dei,  etc.  p.  572. 


7)  Edrisi  ed.  Jaubert,  p.  341. 
Hist.  of.  Jerus.  1.  c.  p.  129. 

8)  In  Wilken’s  Geschichte  der 
Kreuzz.  III.  ii.  p.  315,  mention  is 
made  of  a  Gate  of  St.  Lazarus  in 
the  southern  wall;  but  of  this  I 
have  found  no  further  notice. 


Sec.  VII.] 


WATER. 


479 


IX.  SUPPLY  OF  WATER. 


Jerusalem  lies  in  the  midst  of  a  rocky  limestone 
region,  throughout  which  fountains  and  wells  are  com¬ 
paratively  rare.  In  the  city  itself,  little  if  any  living 
water  is  known ;  and  in  its  immediate  vicinity  are  only 
the  three  small  fountains  along  the  lower  part  of  the 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.  Yet  with  all  these  disadvan¬ 
tages  of  its  position,  the  Holy  City  would  appear  al¬ 
ways  to  have  had  a  full  supply  of  water  for  its  inhabit¬ 
ants,  both  in  ancient  and  in  modern  times.  In  the 
numerous  sieges  to  which  in  all  ages  it  has  been  ex¬ 
posed,  we  nowhere  read  of  any  want  of  water  within 
the  city ;  while  the  besiegers  have  often  suffered 
severely,  and  have  been  compelled  to  bring  water 
from  a  great  distance.  During  the  siege  by  Titus, 
when  the  Jews,  pressed  with  famine,  had  recourse  to 
the  most  horrible  expedients,  and  thousands  daily  died 
of  hunger,  there  is  no  hint  that  thirst  was  added  to 
their  other  sufferings.1  Yet  when  Antiochus  Pius  had 
previously  besieged  the  city,  his  operations  were  at 
first  delayed  for  want  of  water ;  and  Josephus  regards 
it  as  the  result  of  a  divine  interposition,  that  the  Ro¬ 
mans  under  Titus  were  not  in  like  manner  straitened.2 
So  too  in  the  siege  by  the  crusaders,  A.  D.  1099,  the 
inhabitants  were  well  supplied ;  while  the  besiegers 
were  driven  to  the  greatest  straits  by  thirst  under  the 
burning  sun  of  June.3  Thus  in  every  age  the  truth  of 


1)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  12.  3.  V. 
13.  4  7. 

2)  Joseph.  Ant.  XIII.  8.  2.  B. 
J.  V.  9.  4.  p.  350.  ed.  Haverc. 

3)  Albert.  Aq.  VI.  22.  in  Gesta 
Dei,  etc.  p.  280.  Will.  Tyr.  VIII. 
7,  “  Interea  siti  fatigabatur  exerci- 
tus  vehementissima. — Augebat  de- 
nique  sitis  iraportunitatem,  et  an- 
goris  gerninabat  molestiam,  aesta- 
tis  inclementia  et  ardens  Junius,” 


etc.  The  distress  of  the  host  ap¬ 
pears  to  have  been  very  great. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  inhabitants, 
he  says,  were  abundantly  supplied, 
both  with  rain-water  and  that 
brought  by  aqueducts  from  abroad ; 
in  which  way  two  immense  reser¬ 
voirs  (maximae  quantitatis)  near 
the  enclosure  of  the  temple  were 
supplied;  VIII.  4  fin.  Comp,  also 
Vill.  24. 


480 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


Strabo’s  brief  description  has  been  manifest:  u  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  a  rocky  well-enclosed  fortress ;  within  well-wa¬ 
tered,  without  wholly  dry.”1 

It  becomes  therefore  a  matter  of  some  historical 
importance,  as  well  as  interest,  to  ascertain  as  far  as 
possible,  how  this  supply  of  water  has  been  furnished 
to  the  city.  To  this  inquiry  I  address  myself  here, 
in  giving  an  account  of  the  Cisterns,  the  Reservoirs, 
and  the  Fountains,  in  and  around  the  city,  with  some 
notices  of  the  aqueduct  from  Solomon’s  Pools. 

Cisterns.  The  main  dependence  of  Jerusalem  for 
water  at  the  present  day  is  on  its  cisterns ;  and  this 
has  probably  always  been  the  case.  I  have  already 
spoken  of  the  immense  cisterns  now  and  anciently  ex¬ 
isting  within  the  area  of  the  temple ;  supplied  partly 
from  rain  water,  and  partly  by  the  aqueduct.2  These 
of  themselves,  in  case  of  a  siege,  would  furnish  a  toler¬ 
able  supply.  But  in  addition  to  these,  almost  every 
private  house  in  Jerusalem,  of  any  size,  is  understood 
to  have  at  least  one  or  more  cisterns,  excavated  in  the 
soft  limestone  rock  on  which  the  city  is  built.  The 
house  of  Mr.  Lanneau  in  which  we  resided,  had  no  less 
than  four  cisterns ;  and  as  these  are  but  a  specimen  of 
the  manner  in  which  all  the  better  class  of  houses  are 
supplied,  I  subjoin  here  the  dimensions : 


Length. 

Breadth. 

Depth. 

I. 

15  Feet. 

8  Feet. 

12  Feet. 

II. 

8 

4 

15 

III. 

10 

10 

15 

IV. 

30 

30 

20 

This  last  is  enormously  large,  and  the  numbers  given 
are  the  least  estimate.  The  cisterns  have  usually 
merely  a  round  opening  at  the  top,  sometimes  built  up 

1)  Strabo’s  still  briefer  text  is  I'qv/lkx’  ivxoq  /uh>  ivudyov,  ty.r'oq  di 
as  follows  :  XVI.  2.  40,  r«  'Isqo-  TictvttXuxq  di\pr\oov. 
obh’/Lia — r>i'  yao  neroojdfq  evfoy.fq  2)  See  above,  pp.  445,  446. 


Sec.  VII.] 


CISTERNS. 


481 


with  stonework  above,  and  furnished  with  a  curb  and 
a  wheel  for  the  bucket ;  so  that  they  have  externally 
much  the  appearance  of  an  ordinary  well.  The  water 
is  conducted  into  them  from  the  roofs  of  the  houses 
during  the  rainy  season ;  and,  with  proper  care,  re¬ 
mains  pure  and  sweet  during  the  whole  summer  and 
autumn. — In  this  manner  most  of  the  larger  houses 
and  the  public  buildings  are  -supplied.  The  Latin 
convent  in  particular  is  said  to  be  amply  furnished ; 
and  in  seasons  of  drought  is  able  to  deal  out  a  suffi¬ 
ciency  for  all  the  Christian  inhabitants  of  the  city.1 

Most  of  these  cisterns  have  undoubtedly  come 
down  from  ancient  times ;  and  their  immense  extent 
furnishes  a  full  solution  of  the  question  as  to  the  supply 
of  water  for  the  city.  Under  the  disadvantages  of  its 
position  in  this  respect,  Jerusalem  must  necessarily 
have  always  been  dependent  on  its  cisterns  ;2  and  a 
city  which  thus  annually  laid  in  its  supply  for  seven 
or  eight  months,  could  never  be  overtaken  by  a  want 
of  water  during  a  siege.  Nor  is  this  a  trait  peculiar 
to  the  Holy  City  ;  for  the  case  is  the  same  throughout 
all  the  hill-country  of  Judah  and  Benjamin.  Foun¬ 
tains  and  streams  are  few,  as  compared  with  Europe 
and  America;  and  the  inhabitants  therefore  collect 
water  during  the  rainy  season  in  tanks  and  cisterns 
in  the  cities,  in  the  fields,  and  along  the  high  roads, 
for  the  sustenance  of  themselves  and  of  their  flocks 
and  herds,  and  for  the  comfort  of  the  passing  travel- 


1)  According  to  Scholz,  the 
Latin  convent  has  28  cisterns ; 
Reise,  p.  197.  So  also  Salzbach- 
er,  Erinnerungen  II.  p."95. 

2)  Such  was  also  the  case  du¬ 
ring  the  times  of  the  crusades. 
Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  4,  “Est  autem 
locus  in  quo  civitas  sita  est,  aridus 
et  inaquosus,  rivos,  fontes  ac  flu- 

V oi..  I.  Cl 


mina  non  habens  penitus,  cujus 
habitatores  aquis  tantum  utuntur 
pluvialibus.  Mensibus  enim  hy- 
bernis  in  cisternis  quas  in  civitate 
habent  plurimas,  imbres  solent  sibi 
colligere,  et  per  totum  annum  ad 
usus  necessarios  conservare.”  So 
too  Jac.  de  Vitriaco,  c.  55.  Benja¬ 
min  de  Tudela  par  Barat.  p.  92. 


482 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


ler.1  Many,  if  not  the  most  of  these  are  obviously 
antique ;  and  they  exist  not  unfrequently  along  the 
ancient  roads  which  are  now  deserted.  Thus  on  the 
long  forgotten  way  from  Jericho  to  Bethel,  “  broken 
cisterns”  of  high  antiquity  are  found  at  regular  inter¬ 
vals. — That  Jerusalem  was  thus  actually  supplied  of 
old  with  water,  is  apparent  also  from  the  numerous 
remains  of  ancient  cisterns  still  existing  in  the  tract 
North  of  the  city,  which  was  once  enclosed  within  the 
walls. 

A  few  wells  are  occasionally  found,  both  in  and 
around  the  city  ;  hut  they  are  either  dry,  or  the  water 
is  low  and  bad.  One  of  these  has  been  already  men¬ 
tioned  near  the  tombs  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat ; 
and  another  near  the  wall  on  Mount  Zion.2  There  is 
also  a  well  of  bad  water  just  out  of  the  Damascus 
Gate,  not  used  for  drinking;  and  another,  somewhat 
better,  just  by  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings.  The  reason 
why  so  few  wells  exist,  is  doubtless  to  be  referred  to 
the  small  quantity  and  bad  quality  of  the  water  thus 
obtained. 

But  although  the  cisterns  of  Jerusalem  thus  afford 
apparently  an  abundant  supply,  yet  as  a  matter  of 
convenience  and  luxury,  water  is  brought  during  the 
summer  in  considerable  quantity  from  fountains  at  a 
distance  from  the  city.  The  principal  of  these  is  ’Ain 
Yalo  in  Wady  el-Werd,  several  miles  S.  W.  of  Jeru¬ 
salem.  The  water  is  transported  in  skins,  on  the 
backs  of  asses  and  mules  ;  and  is  sold  for  a  trifle  for 
drinking,  to  those  who  prefer  it  to  rain-water.  It 
was  even  said,  that  one  of  the  baths  is  supplied  with 
water  in  this  way  during  a  part  of  the  season. 

1)  So  Jerome,  writing  at  Beth-  suspenderit,  majus  sitis  quamfamis 
lehem,  says  :  “  In  his  enim  locis  in  periculum  est.”  Comm,  in  Amos 
quibus  nunc  degimus,  praeter  par-  iv.  7. 

yob  fontes  omnes  cisternarum  2)  See  above,  pp.  349,  352. 
aquae  sunt ;  et  si  imbres  divina  ira 


Sec.  VIL] 


RESERVOIRS. 


483 


Reservoirs.  The  same  causes  which  led  the  inha¬ 
bitants  of  Judea  to  excavate  cisterns,  induced  them 
also  to  build,  in  and  around  most  of  their  cities,  large 
open  reservoirs  for  more  public  use.  Such  tanks  are 
found  at  Hebron,  Bethel,  Gibeon,  Bireh,  and  various 
other  places ;  sometimes  still  in  use,  as  at  Hebron,  but 
more  commonly  in  ruins.  They  are  built  up  mostly 
of  massive  stones ;  and  are  situated  chiefly  in  vallies 
where  the  rains  of  winter  could  be  easily  conducted 
into  them.  These  reservoirs  we  learned  to  consider 
as  one  of  the  least  doubtful  vestiges  of  antiquity  in  all 
Palestine  ;  for  among  the  present  race  of  inhabitants 
such  works  are  utterly  unknown. 

With  such  reservoirs  Jerusalem  was  abundantly 
supplied ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  immense  Pools  of  Solo¬ 
mon  beyond  Bethlehem,  which  no  doubt  were  con¬ 
structed  for  the  benefit  of  the  Holy  City.  In  describ¬ 
ing  these  tanks  or  pools,  I  begin  with  those  lying  with¬ 
out  the  walls  on  the  West  side  of  the  city.  Here  are 
two  very  large  reservoirs,  one  some  distance  below 
the  other  in  the  Valley  of  Gihon  or  Hinnom,  and  both 
unquestionably  of  high  antiquity.  Now  as  the  prophet 
Isaiah  speaks  of  an  Upper  and  Lower  Pool,  the 
former  of  which  at  least  lay  apparently  on  this  side 
of  the  city,  I  venture  to  apply  these  names  to  the  two 
reservoirs  in  question.1 

Upper  Pool.  This  is  commonly  called  by  the  monks 
Gihon ,  and  by  the  natives  Birket  el-Mamilla .2  It  lies 
in  the  basin  forming  the  head  of  the  V alley  of  Hinnom 
or  Gihon,  about  700  yards  W.  N.  W.  from  the  Yafa 


1)  Isa.  vii.  3.  xxxvi.  2.  2  Kings 
xviii.  17. — Isa.  xxii.  9. 

2)  Quaresmius  II.  p.  715.  Hist, 
of  Jerus.  in  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II.  p. 
131.  The  crusaders  called  it  La- 
cus  Patriarchae  ;  Will.  Tyr.  VIII. 
2. — The  monk  Bernhard  in  A.  D. 
870,  mentions  in  this  quarter  a 


church  of  St.  Mamilla,  in  which 
were  preserved  the  bodies  of  many 
martyrs  slain  by  the  Saracens. 
Hence  perhaps  the  Arabic  name  of 
the  reservoir.  Bernh.  Mon.  de 
Locis  Sanct.  16.  See  too  Eutych. 
Annal.  II.  p.  213. 


484 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


Gate.  Our  first  visit  to  it  has  already  been  described, 
and  the  small  rude  conduit  mentioned,  which  carries 
the  water  from  it  down  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Yafa 
Gate  and  so  to  the  Pool  of  Hezekiah  within  the  city.1 
The  sides  are  built  up  with  hewn  stones  laid  in  cement, 
with  steps  at  the  corners  by  which  to  descend  into  it. 
The  bottom  is  level.  The  dimensions  are  as  follows  : 


Length  from  E.  to  W.  316  Engl.  Feet. 

Breadth  at  the  W.  end  200 
“  at  the  E.  end  218 
Depth  at  each  end  18 

We  noticed  no  water-course  or  other  visible  means  by 
which  water  is  now  brought  into  the  reservoir  ;2  but  it 
would  seem  to  be  filled  in  the  rainy  season  by  the 
waters  which  flow  from  the  higher  ground  round  about. 
Or  rather,  such  is  its  present  state  of  disrepair,  that  it 
probably  never  becomes  full ;  and  the  small  quantity 
of  water  which  it  at  first  retains,  soon  runs  off  and 
leaves  it  dry. 

The  Upper  Pool  of  the  Old  Testament  was  situated 
near  the  “highway  of  the  Fuller’s  field,”  and  had  a 
trench  or  conduit.3  This  indeed  is  indefinite ;  but  we 
are  also  told  that  there  was  “  an  upper  out-flow  of  the 
waters  of  Gihon”  on  the  West  of  the  city.4  Taking 
these  two  circumstances  together,  the  Upper  Pool  and 
the  upper  out-flow  or  water-course  of  Gilion,  it  seems 
most  probable  that  this  reservoir  is  intended;  and 
that  it  anciently  had  some  connection  with  the  fountain 
of  Gihon  in  the  neighbourhood.  This  conclusion  is 
strengthened  by  the  fact,  that  nowhere  else  in  or 


1)  See  above,  p.  352. 

2)  Quaresmius  says  there  are 
two  channels,  probably  subterra¬ 
nean,  by  which  water  flows  into 
the  reservoir ;  one  on  the  North, 
and  the  other  on  the  South  side. 
Elucid.  II.  p.  716. 

3)  Isa.  vii.  3.  xxxvi.  2.  2  Kings 


xviii.  17.  Of  the  Fuller’s  field, 
Eusebius  and  Jerome  merely  say 
that  it  was  shown  in  their  day  in 
the  suburbs  of  the  city ;  Onom. 
art.  Ager  Fullonis. 

4)  2  Chr.  xxxii.  30.  I  follow 
here  the  Hebrew,  which  the  Eng¬ 
lish  version  does  not  fully  express. 


Sec.  VII.] 


UPPER  AND  LOWER  POOL. 


485 


around  Jerusalem  are  there  traces  of  other  ancient 
reservoirs,  to  which  the  names  of  the  Upper  and 
Lower  Pool  can  he  applied  with  any  like  degree  of 
probability.1 

Lower  Pool .  This  name  is  mentioned  only  by 
Isaiah ;  and  that  without  any  hint  of  its  locality.2  I 
venture  to  give  it  to  the  large  pool  lower  down  on  the 
W.  side  of  the  city,  called  by  the  Arabs  Birket  es- Sul¬ 
tan.  Monkish  tradition  is  here  somewhat  at  fault; 
some  calling  it  the  Pool  of  Bersaba ;  others  of  Bath- 
sheba  ;3  while  others  again  give  the  latter  name  to  a 
tank  just  within  the  Yafa  Gate.  The  accounts  of 
travellers  exhibit  a  like  diversity.  The  probable 
identity  of  this  tank  with  the  Lower  Pool  of  Isaiah, 
rests  upon  its  relative  position  in  respect  to  the  Upper 
Pool  just  described  ;  and  upon  the  fact,  that  no  other 
reservoir  is  anywhere  to  be  found,  to  which  this  Scrip¬ 
tural  name  can  so  well  be  applied. 

This  reservoir  is  situated  in  the  V alley  of  Hinnom 
or  Gihon,  southward  from  the  Yafa  Gate.  Its  north¬ 
ern  end  is  nearly  upon  a  line  with  the  southern  wall 
of  the  city,  which  here  lies  about  100  feet  above  it. 
The  pool  was  formed  by  throwing  strong  walls  across 
the  bottom  of  the  valley ;  between  which  the  earth 
was  wholly  removed ;  so  that  the  rocky  sides  of  the 
valley  are  left  shelving  down  irregularly,  and  form  a 
narrow  channel  along  the  middle.  The  wall  at  the 
S.  end  is  thick  and  strong  like  a  dam  or  causeway ; 
those  along  the  sides  are  of  course  comparatively  low 
and  much  broken  away ;  that  on  the  North  is  also  in 
part  thrown  down.  A  road  crosses  on  the  causeway 
at  the  southern  end  ;  along  which  are  fountains  erected 
by  the  Muslims,  and  once  fed  from  the  aqueduct  which 

1)  Pococke  also  assumes  these  2)  Isa.  xxii.  9. 
as  the  Upper  and  Lower  Pool;  3)  Q,uaresmius  Elucidat.  II.  p. 
Descr.  of  the  East,  II.  pp.  25, 26.  fol.  596,  seq. 


486  JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES.  [Sec.  VII. 


passes  very  near.  They  were  now  dry.  The  follow- 
ing  are  the  measurements  of  this  reservoir: 


Course  of  the  two  sides  .... 

“  of  the  N.  end,  taken  from  the  E. 

“  of  the  S.  end,  do. 

Length  along  the  middle  .... 

Breadth  at  the  N.  end . 

“  at  the  S.  end . 

Depth  at  N.  end,  including  about  9  feet  of  rubbish 
“  at  S.  end,  including  about  3  feet  of  rubbish 


S.  10°  W. 
W.  10°  N. 
W. 


592  Engl.  Feet. 
245 
275 
35 
42 


This  reservoir  was  probably  filled  from  the  rains,  and 
from  the  superfluous  waters  of  the  Upper  Pool.  It  lies 
directly  in  the  natural  channel  by  which  the  latter 
would  flow  off ;  but  is  now  in  ruins. 

Besides  these  two  large  reservoirs,  we  find  further 
without  the  walls,  the  comparatively  small  and  unim¬ 
portant  tank  just  North  of  St.  Stephen’s  Gate,  called 
by  the  natives  Birket  el-Hejjeh .  It  seems  to  have  been 
little  regarded  by  the  monks,  and  we  did  not  find  that 
it  had  among  the  Franks  a  name ;  though  some,  as  we 
were  told,  hold  it  to  be  the  Pool  of  Bethesda.  There 
is  also  the  small  cistern-like  tank  in  the  trench  near 
the  Gate  of  Herod  on  the  N.  E.  part  of  the  city.  My 
impression  is,  that  both  these  receptacles  are  filled 
only  by  the  rain-water,  which  flows  in  winter  from 
the  higher  ground  on  the  W.  and  N.  W.  into  and  along 
the  trench.1  They  have  no  appearance  of  great  anti¬ 
quity. — The  Pool  of  Siloam,  also  without  the  walls, 
will  be  described  in  another  place. 

Within  the  walls  of  the  city  there  are  three  reser¬ 
voirs  ;  two  of  which  are  of  large  size. 

Pool  of  Bathsheba.  The  smallest  of  the  reservoirs, 
which  indeed  is  rather  a  mere  pit,  lies  just  within  the 


1)  Comp.  p.  345,  above.  Scholz  within  the  city.  There  seems  to 

in  1821  says,  that  water  was  then  be  nothing  of  the  kind  at  present, 

carried  from  the  reservoir  outside  Reise,  p.  271. 
of  St.  Stephen’s  Gate  to  a  bath 


Sec.  VII.] 


POOL  OF  HEZEKIAH. 


487 


Yafa  Gate,  on  the  North  side  of  the  street,  over  against 
the  castle.  It  is  now  called  by  the  Franks  the  Pool 
or  Bath  of  Bathsheba,  on  the  supposition  that  David 
dwelt  in  the  castle  opposite ;  though  it  has  long  had 
to  dispute  its  claim  to  this  appellation  with  the  large 
lower  pool  outside.1  We  did  not  hear  of  any  Arabic 
name.  It  was  now  dry ,  nor  did  we  learn  that  it  ever 
becomes  full.2 

Pool  of  Hezekiah.  The  reservoir  now  usually  so 
called,  lies  some  distance  northeastward  of  the  Yafa 
Gate,  just  West  of  the  street  that  leads  N.  to  the 
church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  A  line  of  houses  only 
separates  it  from  this  street ;  and  as  it  is  not  far  from  the 
said  church,  it  was  formerly  called  by  the  monks  the 
Pool  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.3  The  natives  now  call  it 
Birket  el-Hummam ,  from  the  circumstance  that  its 
waters  are  used  to  supply  a  bath  in  the  vicinity.  Its  sides 
run  towards  the  cardinal  points.  Its  breadth  at  the 
N.  end  is  144  feet ;  its  length  on  the  E.  side  about  240 
feet,  though  the  adjacent  houses  here  prevented  any 
very  exact  measurement.  The  depth  is  not  great.  The 
bottom  is  rock,  levelled  and  covered  with  cement ;  and 
on  the  West  side  the  rock  is  cut  down  for  some  depth. 
The  reservoir  is  supplied  with  water  during  the  rainy 
season,  by  the  small  aqueduct  or  drain  brought  down 
from  the  Upper  Pool,  along  the  surface  of  the  ground 
and  under  the  wall  at  or  near  the  Y afa  Gate.  When  we 
last  saw  it  in  the  middle  of  May,  it  was  about  half  full 


1) Doubdan  Voyage,  etc.  p.  138. 
Q,uaresmius  in  his  zeal  for  the 
other  location  does  not  even  men¬ 
tion  this  spot.  Maundrell  drily 
remarks,  that  the  one  has  probably 
the  same  right  to  the  name  as  the 
other ;  Apr.  6th. 

2)  Monro  calls  it  “  an  oblong 

pit,  twenty  feet  deep,  lined  coarsely 
with  small  stones Summer  Ram¬ 


ble,  etc.  I.  p.  107.  Schubert  re¬ 
marks  that  “  the  architecture  and 
the  size  of  the  stones  seem  to  be¬ 
long  to  the  works  of  the  ancient 
Jerusalem  j”  Reise  II.  p.  532.  I 
am  not  able  to  say  which  of  these 
is  most  correct. 

3)  Piscina  S.  Sepulchri ,  Q,ua- 
resmius  II.  p.  717. 


488  JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES.  [Sec.  VII. 

of  water  ;  which  however  was  not  expected  to  hold 
out  through  the  summer. 

In  searching  in  this  quarter  for  traces  of  the  second 
wall  of  the  ancient  city,  we  came  to  the  Coptic  con¬ 
vent,  situated  at  the  northern  end  of  the  reservoir. 
This  had  been  recently  rebuilt  and  was  not  yet  com¬ 
pleted.  On  inquiring  of  the  master-mason,  who  had 
charge  of  the  whole  work,  in  respect  to  the  excava¬ 
tions  which  had  been  made,  he  informed  us,  that 
in  digging  to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  new  wall, 
running  from  E.  to  W.  they  had  come  upon  an  old 
wall  of  large  hewn  stones  parallel  to  the  present  N. 
wall  of  the  reservoir,  and  57  feet  distant  from  it  towards 
the  North.  This  wall,  he  said,  was  ten  or  twelve  feet 
thick,  laid  in  cement,  and  also  plastered  over  on  the 
S.  side  with  cement,  like  the  wall  of  a  reservoir.  The 
bottom  below  was  rock,  which  was  also  covered  to¬ 
wards  the  South  with  a  coating  of  small  stones  and 
cement  several  inches  thick,  like  the  bottom  of  the 
present  pool.  In  laying  the  foundations  of  another 
part  of  the  convent,  he  had  also  dug  down  along  a 
part  of  the  present  northern  wall  of  the  pool,  which 
he  found  to  be  built  of  small  stones ;  so  small  indeed 
that  he  had  been  compelled  to  remove  them  and  build 
up  the  wall  anew.  All  these  circumstances  led  him 
to  the  conclusion,  that  the  Pool  of  Hezekiah  once  ex¬ 
tended  further  North,  as  far  as  to  the  old  wall  above 
described.  To  this  conclusion  we  could  only  assent ; 
for  the  stones  thus  dug  out  were  still  lying  around, 
and  bore  every  mark  of  antiquity.  They  were  not 
indeed  large,  like  those  of  the  temple-walls ;  but  were 
bevelled,  and  obviously  of  ancient  workmanship. 

We  are  told  of  king  Hezekiah,  that  he  “made  a 
pool  and  a  conduit,  and  brought  water  into  the  city 
and  also  that  “  he  stopped  the  upper  water-course  of 
Gihon,  and  brought  it  straight  down  to  the  west  side 


Sec.  VII.] 


BETHESDA. 


489 


of  the  city  of  David.”1  From  this  language  we  can 
only  infer,  that  Hezekiah  constructed  a  pool  within 
the  city  on  its  western  part.  To  such  a  pool,  the  pre¬ 
sent  reservoir,  which  is  doubtless  an  ancient  work, 
entirely  corresponds  ;  and  it  is  also  fed  in  a  similar 
manner.  The  pool  must  of  course  have  been  situated 
within  the  second  wall  of  Josephus ;  and  its  present 
position  serves  therefore  to  determine  in  part  the  pro¬ 
bable  course  of  that  wall.2 

Bethesda.  Sheep  Pool .  In  the  Gospel  of  St.  John 
we  are  informed,  that  “  there  was  at  Jerusalem,  by  the 
Sheep  [-Gate],  a  pool,  which  was  called  in  the  Hebrew 
tongue  Bethesda,  having  five  porches.”3  This  pool 
the  monks  and  many  travellers  have  chosen  to  find 
in  the  deep  reservoir  or  trench  on  the  north  side  of 
the  area  of  the  great  mosk.  They  give  to  it  the  differ¬ 
ent  names  of  Bethesda  and  the  Sheep-Pool ;  and  in 
the  two  long  vaults  at  its  S.  W.  corner,  they  profess 
to  find  two  of  the  five  ancient  porches.4  The  natives 
call  it  Birket  fsrail.  There  is  not  the  slightest  evi¬ 
dence  that  can  identify  it  with  the  Bethesda  of  the 
New  Testament.  Eusebius  and  Jerome,  and  also  the 
Itin.  Hieros.  do  indeed  speak  of  a  Piscina  Probatica 
shown  in  their  day  as  Bethesda,  a  double  pool,  one 
part  of  which  was  filled  by  the  winter  rains,  and  the 
other  was  reddish  as  if  formerly  tinged  with  bloody 
waters.5  But  neither  of  these  writers  gives  any  hint  as 
to  the  situation  of  the  pool.  The  name  has  doubtless 
been  assigned  to  the  reservoir  in  question  compara- 

1)  2  Kings  xx.  20.  2  Chr.  xxxii.  about  the  porches ;  II.  p.  98,  seq. 

30.  Comp,  also  Sirac.  xlviii.  9.  Comp.  Cotovic.  Itin.  p.  258.  Maun- 

2)  See  above,  p.  462.  drell  Apr.  9th. 

3)  John  v.  2.  The  ellipsis  in  5)  Onomast.  art.  Bethesda. — 

the  Greek  text  is  to  be  supplied  by  These  fathers  supplied  the  ellipsis 
TivXrj  gate ,  from  Nehemiah  iii.  1.  in  the  Greek  text  so  as  to  read: 
See  Bos  Ellips.  Graec.  art.  ttvItj.  “  There  was  in  Jerusalem  by  the 
Lightfoot  Opp.  II.  p.  587.  sheep[-pool],  a  pool  which  was 

4)  Q,uaresmius  calls  it  Piscina  called,”  etc.  They  thus  make  here 
Probatica  ;  but  seems  to  doubt  a  double  pool. 

Vol.  I.  62 


490 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


tively  in  modern  times,  from  its  proximity  to  St. 
Stephen’s  Gate,  which  was  erroneously  held  to  he  the 
ancient  Sheep-Gate.1  The  dimensions  of  the  reservoir 
have  already  been  given ;  and  the  reasons  assigned 
why  I  hold  it  to  be  the  ancient  fosse  which  protected 
the  fortress  Antonia  and  the  temple  on  the  North.2 
That  it  was  formerly  filled  with  water,  is  apparent 
from  the  lining  of  small  stones  and  cement  upon  its 
sides.  But  from  what  quarter  the  water  was  brought 
into  it,  I  am  unable  to  conjecture  ;  unless  perhaps  it 
may  have  been  fed  from  the  Pool  of  Hezekiah,  or  more 
probably  from  the  superfluous  waters  formerly  collected 
from  the  aqueduct  and  elsewhere,  in  the  cisterns  of 
the  adjacent  Haram  esh-Sherif.  The  reservoir  has 
now  been  dry  for  more  than  two  centuries ;  during 
which  its  deep  bottom  has  been  in  part  a  receptacle 
of  filth,  and  in  part  occupied  as  a  garden  of  herbs  and 
trees.3 

Fountains.  The  only  sources,  or  rather  recepta¬ 
cles,  of  living  water  now  accessible  at  Jerusalem,  are 
three  in  number.  They  are  all  situated  without  the 
present  walls,  in  and  along  the  deep  Valley  of  Jeho- 
shaphat.  We  begin  with  that  lowest  down  the  valley. 

Well  of  JVehemiah  or  Job.  This  is  the  deep  well 
situated  just  below  the  junction  of  the  Valley  of  Ilin- 
nom  with  that  of  Jehoshaphat.  The  small  oblong 


1)  See  above,  p.  480.  I  have  not 
found  the  name  Piscina  Probatica 
distinctly  applied  to  this  reservoir 
earlier  than  Brocardus  A.  D.  1283, 
(c.  8,)  and  Marinus  Sanutus  A.  D. 
1321,  lib.  III.  14.  10.  These  wri¬ 
ters  speak  also  (especially  Brocar¬ 
dus  1.  c.)  of  a  large  reservoir  adja¬ 
cent  to  the  church  of  St.  Anne, 
called  Piscina  interior ,  now  appar¬ 
ently  destroyed.  This  latter  seems 
to  have  been  the  Piscina  Probatica 
of  the  earlier  historians  of  the  cru¬ 
sades;  see  Gesta  Dei  per  Fr.  p. 
573.  Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  4,  fin.  Jac. 


deVitr.  c.  63.  They  mention  in¬ 
deed  the  present  reservoir  as  “  la- 
cus  quidam  but  give  it  no  name  ; 
Gesta  Dei,  p.  573.  Will.  Tyr.  1.  c. 
Sir  John  Maundeville  in  the  14th 
century  places  the  Piscina  Proba¬ 
tica  within  the  church  of  St.  Anne ; 
Lond.  1839.  p.  88.  Comp,  also  F. 
Fabri  and  Rauwolf  in  R^eissb.  des 
heil.  Landes,  pp.  252,  609. 

2)  See  above,  p.  434. 

3)  Cotovic.  Itin.  p.  258.  Q,uar- 
esmius  II.  p.  98.  Comp.  p.  344, 
above. 


Sec.  VII.] 


WELL  OF  NEHEMIAH. 


491 


plain  there  formed,  is  covered  with  an  olive-grove,  and 
with  the  traces  of  former  gardens  extending  down  the 
valley  from  the  present  gardens  of  Siloam.  Indeed 
this  whole  spot  is  the  prettiest  and  most  fertile  around 
Jerusalem.  Frank  Christians  call  this  the  well  of 
Nehemiah,  supposing  it  to  he  the  same  in  which  the 
sacred  fire  is  said  to  have  been  hid  during  the  Jewish 
captivity,  until  again  recovered  by  that  leader  of  the 
exiles.1  But  I  have  not  found  this  name  in  any  writer 
earlier  than  the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century.  Those 
who  mention  the  well  before  that  time,  speak  of  it  only 
as  the  En-Rogel  of  the  Old  Testament.2  The  native 
inhabitants  call  it  Bir  Eyub ,  the  Well  of  Job.3 

It  is  a  very  deep  well,  of  an  irregular  quadrilateral 
form,  walled  up  with  large  squared  stones,  terminating 
above  in  an  arch  on  one  side,  and  apparently  of  great 
antiquity.  There  is  a  small  rude  building  over  it,  fur¬ 
nished  with  one  or  two  large  troughs  or  reservoirs  of 
stone,  which  are  kept  partially  filled  for  the  conveni¬ 
ence  of  the  people.  The  well  measures  125  feet  in 
depth ;  50  feet  of  which  was  now  full  of  water.  The 
water  is  sweet,  but  not  very  cold ;  and  is  at  the  pre¬ 
sent  day  drawn  up  by  hand.  An  old  man  from 
Kefr  Selwan  was  there  with  his  cord  and  leather 
bucket,  and  drew  for  us.  He  said  the  water  was  good 
and  would  sit  lightly  on  the  stomach.  In  the  rainy 


1)  2  Macc.  i.  19 — 22.  Formerly 
also  Puteus  ignis ;  see  Qmares- 
mius  II.  p.  270,  seq.  Cotovic.  p. 
292.  Doubdan  Voyage  p.  136. 

2)  So  Brocardus  c.  8.  Marinus 
Sanutus  III.  14.  9.  De  Salignac  in 
A.  D.  1522,  Itin.  Tom.  X.  c.  1. 
Cotovicus  in  1598  calls  it  Puteus  ig¬ 
nis-,  and  Quaresmius  seems  to  be 
the  first  to  give  it  the  name  of  Ne¬ 
hemiah. 

3)  I  know  not  the  occasion  of 
this  name;  yet  it  occurs  in  Mejr  ed- 
Din  in  A.  D.  1495,  as  if  already  of 
long  standing ;  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II. 


p.  130.  It  is  found  also  in  the  Ara¬ 
bic  version  of  Joshua  in  the  Paris 
and  London  Polyglotts,  for  En-Ro- 
gel,  Josh.  xv.  7.  The  Jewish  Itin¬ 
erary  published  by  Hottinger  in  his 
Cippi  Hebraici ,  says  this  well  is 
properly  that  of  Joab,  though  the 
Gentiles  call  it  the  well  of  Job; 
]>.  48.  Ed.  2.  This  does  not  at  all 
help  the  matter.  And  besides,  this 
Itinerary  cannot  be  older  than  the 
last  half  of  the  sixteenth  century; 
since  it  speaks  of  the  building  of  the 
walls  by  Sultan  Suleimkn  ;  p.  34. 


492 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  YU. 


season  the  well  becomes  quite  full,  and  sometimes 
overflows  at  the  mouth.  More  usually,  however,  the 
water  runs  off  under  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and 
finds  an  outlet  some  forty  yards  below  the  well.  Here, 
the  old  man  said,  it  commonly  flows  for  sixty  or 
seventy  days  in  winter,  and  the  stream  is  sometimes 
large.  An  Arabian  writer  describes  the  Bir  Eyiib  as 
built  up  with  very  large  stones ;  and  as  having  in  its 
lower  part  a  grotto  or  chamber  walled  up  in  like  man¬ 
ner,  from  which  the  water  strictly  issues.  It  might  be 
inferred,  perhaps,  from  the  same  account,  that  in  a 
season  of  drought,  the  Muhammedans  had  sunk  this 
well  to  a  greater  depth.1 

It  is  singular  that  the  earlier  historians  of  the 
crusades  make  no  mention  of  this  wTell ;  although  on 
account  of  the  abundance  of  its  living  water,  it  must 
have  been  of  great  importance  to  the  Franks.2  That 
it  existed  before  their  day  is  obvious  ;  for  it  is  men¬ 
tioned  by  Brocardus  in  A.  D.  1283,  as  being  one  of  the 
fountains  of  the  Old  Testament.  It  may  not  impro¬ 
bably  have  been  filled  up  ;  and  thus  have  remained 
unknown  to  the  first  crusaders.3  It  is  apparently  of 
high  antiquity  ;  and  there  can  be  little  doubt,  that  it 
was  rightly  regarded  by  Brocardus  as  identical  with 
the  En-Rogel  of  Scripture ;  though  probably  it  may 
have  been  enlarged  and  deepened  in  the  course  of  ages. 

The  fountain  En-Rogel  is  first  mentioned  in  the 
Book  of  Joshua,  in  describing  the  border  between  the 


1) Mejr  ed-Din  Hist,  of  Jerus. 
in  Fundgr.  des  Or.  II.  p.  130. 

2)  Jac.  de  Vitriaco  says  ex¬ 
pressly  of  Jerusalem,  “fontes  au- 
tem  non  habet,  excepto  uno,  qui 
Siloe  nominatur  c.  55.  But  he 
probably  would  not  regard  this  well 
as  a  fountain. 

3)  See  the  story  related  in  the 
work  ascribed  to  Hugo  Plagon, 


respecting  an  ancient  well  below 
Siloam,  which  was  discovered  and 
cleared  out  about  A.  D.  1184,  and 
furnished  an  abundant  supply  of 
water.  Hug.  Plag.  Contin.  Gallica 
Historise  Guil.  Tyr.  in  Martini  et 
Durand  Collect,  ampl.  Tom.  V. 
p.  889,  seq.  Wilken’s  Gescli.  der 
Kreuzz.  III.  ii.  p-  248. 


Sec.  VII.] 


WELL  OF  NEHEMIAH.  SILOAM. 


493 


tribes  of  Judah  and  Benjamin.1  This  border  began  at 
the  N.  W.  corner  of  the  Dead  Sea,  and  passed  up 
westward  through  the  mountains  to  En-Shemesh; 
which  may  perhaps  have  been  either  the  present 
fountain  of  the  Apostles  below  Bethany  on  the  way 
to  Jericho,2  or  the  fountain  near  St.  Saba.  Thence  it 
came  to  En-Rogel ;  and  went  up  the  Valley  of  Hin- 
nom  on  the  South  side  of  the  Jebusites  (Jerusalem) ; 
and  so  to  the  top  of  the  hill  overagainst  the  Valley  of 
Hinnom  westward,  at  the  North  end  of  the  Valley  of 
Rephaim  or  the  Giants.  Thence  it  was  carried  on  to 
the  waters  of  Nephtoah,  perhaps  the  present  fountain 
Yalo  in  Wady  el-Werd.  It  needs  but  a  glance  at  the 
plan,  to  see  that  this  description  applies  most  definitely 
and  exactly  to  the  present  well  of  Nehemiah.  The 
border  probably  came  up  along  the  lower  part  of 
the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  to  this  well ;  and  then  con¬ 
tinued  up  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  and  across  the  hill  to 
the  Valley  of  Rephaim.3  One  other  notice  goes  also 
to  fix  the  place  of  the  fountain  Rogel  in  the  same  vi¬ 
cinity.  When  Adonijah  caused  himself  to  be  pro¬ 
claimed  king,  he  assembled  his  friends  and  made  a 
feast  at  En-Rogel ;  or,  as  Josephus  records  it,  “  without 
the  city  at  the  fountain  which  is  in  the  king’s  garden.”4 

Siloam.  The  name  Siloah  or  Siloam,5  which  has 
obtained  such  celebrity  in  the  Christian  world,  is 
found  only  three  times  in  the  Scriptures  as  applied  to 
waters  ;  once  in  the  prophet  Isaiah,  who  speaks  of  it 
as  running  water  ;  again  as  a  pool  in  Nehemiah  ;  and 
lastly  also  as  a  pool  in  the  account  of  our  Lord’s  mi- 

1)  Josh.  xv.  7,  8.  xviii.  16,  17. 

2)  duaresmius  II.  p.735.  Maun- 
drell  under  March  29th. 

3)  The  site  of  Jerusalem  lay  of 
course  wholly  within  the  original 
limits  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin. 

4)  1  Kings  i.  9.  Joseph.  Antiq. 


VII.  14.  4.  Comp.  2  Sam.  xvii.  17. 
We  have  seen  above,  that  the 
Arabic  Version  in  Josh,  xv  7,  has 
’Ain  Eyub  for  En-Rogel;  see  p. 
491,  Note  3. 

5)  The  Arabic  form  of  this 
name  is  Selwan. 


494 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VH. 


racle  of  healing  the  man  who  had  been  born  blind.1 
None  of  these  passages  afford  any  clue  as  to  the  situ¬ 
ation  of  Siloam.  But  this  silence  is  amply  supplied 
by  the  historian  Josephus,  who  makes  frequent  men¬ 
tion  of  Siloam  as  a  fountain  ;2  and  says  expressly,  that 
the  valley  of  the  Tyropoeon  extended  down  to  Siloam  ; 
or  in  other  words,  Siloam  was  situated  in  the  mouth 
of  the  Tyropoeon,  on  the  S.  E.  part  of  the  ancient  city; 
as  we  find  it  at  the  present  day.3  Its  waters,  he  says, 
were  sweet  and  abundant.  There  can  also  be  no  room 
for  question,  that  the  Siloam  of  Josephus  is  identical 
with  that  of  the  Scriptures. 

Of  the  same  tenor  is  the  account  of  the  Itin.  Hie- 
ros.  A.  D.  333,  that  to  those  going  out  of  the  city  in 
order  to  ascend  Mount  Zion,  the  “  pool”  of  Siloam  lay 
below  in  the  valley  on  the  left.  More  definite  is  the 
testimony  of  Jerome  about  the  close  of  the  same  cen¬ 
tury.  This  father  says  expressly  that  “  Siloam  is  a 
fountain  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Zion ;  whose  waters  do 
not  flow  regularly,  but  on  certain  days  and  hours ;  and 
issue  with  a  great  noise  from  hollows  and  caverns  in 
the  hardest  rock.”  Again,  in  speaking  of  Gehenna, 
he  remarks  that  “  the  idol  Baal  was  set  up  near  Je¬ 
rusalem  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Moriah,  where  Siloam 
flows.”4  Moriah  must  here  be  taken  as  including  the 


1)  Isa.  viii.  6  rtbliL  Nehem.  ii. 
15  nbd.  John  ix.  7,  il.  The  He¬ 
brew  word  in  the  two  passages  of 
the  Old  Testament  is  indeed  writ¬ 
ten  with  different  vowels ;  but 
there  is  no  reason  to  doubt  the 
identity  of  the  name.  It  signifies 
sent,  a  sending ,  etc.  The  Greek: 
form  is  2d<»dg,  both  in  the  N.  T. 
and  in  Josephus.  There  was  pro¬ 
bably  both  a  fountain  and  a  reser¬ 
voir,  as  at  the  present  day.  Hence 
the  diversity  in  different  writers. — 
A  tower  of  Siloam  is  also  men¬ 
tioned,  Luke  xiii.  4. 

2)  B.  J.  V.  4.  1,  2.  V.  9.  4.  p» 

350.  Haverc. 


3)  B.  J.  V.  4.  1,  rj  81  row  Tvqo- 

7Toiit)V  TTQooayoQfVO/nt'vrj  cpdyay£ — v.a- 
■O-riY.tL  gf/QL  ~do)dg‘  out m  yaQ  xijv 
7Z7]y)]V,  yXvxsidv  ts  v.al  7loXXr]v  oi~ 
oav,  iy.alovf.uv.  Comp.  B.  J.  V.  4. 
2.  It  is  chiefly  from  a  misappre¬ 
hension  of  this  latter  passage,  that 
Reland  and  other  modern  commen  ¬ 
tators  have  transferred  the  place 
of  Siloam  to  the  valley  on  the  S. 
W.  part  of  Zion;  see  above,  p. 
411,  Note  1. 

4)  Hieron.  Comment,  in  Esa. 
viii.  6,  u  Siloe  autem  fontem  esse 
ad  radices  montis  Sion,  qui  non 
jugibus  aquis,  sed  in  cert.is  horis 
diebusque  ebulliat,  et  per  terrarum 


Sec.  VII.] 


SILOAM. 


495 


ridge  which  runs  from  it  towards  the  South  ;  and  the 
mention  of  the  idol  Baal  limits  the  position  of  Siloam 
to  the  gardens  at  the  mouth  of  the  Tyropoeon  and 
Valley  of  Hinnom ;*  which  also  corresponds  to  the 
language  of  Josephus.  In  the  account  of  Jerome,  we 
have  the  first  correct  mention  of  the  irregular  flow  of 
the  waters  of  Siloam.2 

Siloam  is  mentioned  both  as  a  fountain  and  pool 
hy  Antoninus  Martyr  early  in  the  seventh  century ; 
and  as  a  pool  hy  the  monk  Bernhard  in  the  ninth.3 
Then  come  the  historians  of  the  crusades ;  who  also 
place  Siloam  as  a  fountain  in  its  present  site,  near  the 
fork  of  two  vallies.  William  of  Tyre  mentions  its 
irregular  flow;  and  another  speaks  of  it  both  as  a 
fountain  and  a  pool.4  According  to  Benjamin  of  Tude- 
la  about  A.  D.  1165,  there  was  then  here  an  ancient 
edifice;  and  Phocas  in  1185  says  the  fountain  was 
surrounded  by  arches  and  massive  columns,  with  gar¬ 
dens  below.5  Then  follow  Brocardus  A.  D.  1283,  and 
Marinus  Sanutus  A.  D.  1321,  who  both  speak  of  the 


concava  et  antra  saxi  durissimi 
cum  magno  sonitu  veniat,  dubitare 
non  possumus ;  nos  praesertim, 
qui  in  hac  habitamus  provincial 
Comm,  in  Matt.  x.  28,  “  Idolum 
Baal  fuisse  juxta  Jerusalem  ad  ra¬ 
dices  montis  Moria,  in  quibus  Siloe 
fluit,  non  semel  legimus.” 

1)  See  above,  p.  404. 

2)  The  I  tin.  IJtieros.  magnifies 
this  circumstance  into  a  flowing  for 
six  days  and  nights  and  a  resting 
on  the  seventh  day.  Isidore  of 
Spain,  in  the  seventh  century,  co¬ 
pies  the  account  of  Jerome  ;  Ety- 
molog.  XIII.  13.  9.  The  same 
legend  probably  existed  long  be¬ 
fore  ;  and  gave  occasion  to  the 
language  of  Pliny,  H.  N.  XXXI. 
2,  “  In  Judaea  rivus  sabbathis  om¬ 
nibus  siccatur.”  Comp.  Wessel- 
ing’s  note  upon  this  legend,  Iliner. 
Uieros.  p.  592. 


3)  Antonini  Mart.  Itiner.  xxiv. 
Bernh.  Mon.  de  Locis  Sanct.  15. 

4)  Will.Tyr.  VIII.  4,  “Juxta  ur- 
bem  tamen,  a  parte  Australi,  ubi 
duae  valles  praedicatae  se  continu¬ 
ant,  quasi  milliaro  distans  ab  urbe, 
fons  est  quidam  famosissimus,  Si¬ 
loe. — Fons  quidem  modicus,  in  imo 
vallis  scaturiens,  et  qui  nec  sapidas, 
nec  perpetuas  habet  aquas  ;  inter- 
polatum  enim  habens  fluxum,  die 
tantum  tertia  aquis  dicitur  minis  - 
trare.”  Jac.  de  Vitriaco  c.  55. 
Comp,  also  Gesta  Dei  per  Fr.  p. 
573,  “  Ad  radicem  hujus  montis 
Syon  exoritur  fons  aspectu  liqui- 
dissimus,  sed  gustu  amarus,  quern 
dicunt  natatoria  Siloe  ;  qui  emittit 
rivulum  suum  in  alveo  ubi  torrens 
Cedron  fertur  in  hyeme  cursu  ra- 
pidissimo.” 

5)  Benj.  de  Tud.  ed.  Barat.  p. 
92.  Phocas  de  Loc.  Sanct.  16. 


496 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


fountain  and  the  pool ;  and  the  latter  does  not  forget 
its  irregular  flow.  A  few  years  later  Sir  John  Maun- 
deville  mentions  it  as  a  “  welle’ ?  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Sion  towards  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  “  clept  na- 
tatorium  Siloe.m 

Thus  far,  all  the  historical  notices  refer  only  to  the 
present  Siloam,  in  the  mouth  of  the  valley  of  the 
Tyropoeon,  which  still  exhibits  both  a  fountain  and  a 
reservoir ;  and  they  all  have  no  reference  to  the  foun¬ 
tain  of  the  Virgin  Mary  further  up  the  Valley  of  Je- 
hoshaphat;  with  which,  as  we  have  seen,  the  waters 
of  Siloam  stand  in  connection.  The  mention  of  gar¬ 
dens  around  Siloam,  and  of  its  waters  as  flowing  down 
into  the  valley  of  the  Kidron,  is  decisive  on  this  point ; 
for  neither  of  these  circumstances  could  ever  have 
been  applicable  to  the  other  fountain.  Indeed,  singular 
as  the  fact  must  certainly  be  accounted,  there  seems 
to  be  nothing  which  can  be  regarded  as  an  allusion 
to  the  Fountain  of  Mary,  during  the  long  series  of  ages 
from  the  time  of  Josephus  down  to  the  latter  part  of  the 
fifteenth  century.  At  that  time  Tucher  (A.  D.  1479), 
Breydenbach  and  F.  Fabri,  as  also  Zuallardo  and 
Cotovicus  a  century  later,  mention  distinctly  the  two 
fountains  of  Siloam  and  Mary ;  but  seem  to  have  no 
knowledge  of  their  connection.1 2  This  seems  to  have 
been  first  brought  to  notice  by  Quaresmius  in  the  be¬ 
ginning  of  the  seventeenth  century.3  The  hypothesis 
that  the  Fountain  of  Mary  is  the  true  Fountain  of 
Siloam,  and  the  other  merely  the  Pool  of  Siloam, 
which  has  found  favour  in  modern  times  among  the 
Franks,  seems  to  have  sprung  up  only  in  the  early 

1)  Brocard.  c.  8.  Marin.  San.  lardo  Viaggio,  pp.  135, 149.  Coto- 
de  Seer.  fid.  Cruc.  III.  14.  9.  Sir  J.  vici  Itin.  pp.  292,  293.  Sandys’ 
Maundeville’s  Travels,  1839.  p.  92.  Travels,  pp.  146,  147. 

2)  See  Reissbuch  des  h.  Lan-  3)  Quaresmius,  Elucid.  Terr, 

des,  ed.  2.  pp.  666,  113,  256.  Zual-  Sanct.  II.  p.  289,  seq. 


Sec.  VIL] 


SILOAM. 


497 


part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  is  destitute  of  all 
historical  foundation.  The  first  mention  of  it  which  I 
find,  is  in  a  suggestion  of  Pococke,  A.  D.  1738 ;  and 
the  same  is  expressed  more  definitely  by  Korte  about 
the  same  time.1 

The  general  features  of  Siloam  have  already  been 
described, — a  small  deep  reservoir  in  the  mouth  of  the 
Tyropoeon,  into  which  the  water  flows  from  a  smaller 
basin  excavated  in  the  solid  rock  a  few  feet  higher 
up ;  and  then  the  little  channel  by  which  the  stream 
is  led  off  along  the  base  of  the  steep  rocky  point  of 
Ophel,  to  irrigate  the  terraces  and  gardens  extending 
into  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  below.2  The  distance 
from  the  eastern  point  of  Ophel  nearest  this  latter 
valley  to  the  said  reservoir,  is  255  feet.  The  reservoir 
is  53  feet  long,  18  feet  broad,  and  19  feet  deep ;  but 
the  western  end  is  in  part  broken  down.  Several 
columns  are  built  into  the  side-walls;  perhaps  belong¬ 
ing  to  a  former  chapel,  or  intended  to  support  a  roof; 
but  there  is  now  no  other  appearance  of  important 
ruins  in  the  vicinity.  No  water  was  standing  in  the 
reservoir  as  we  saw  it ;  the  stream  from  the  fountain 
only  passed  through  and  flowed  oflt*  to  the  gardens. 

The  smaller  upper  basin  or  fountain  is  an  excava¬ 
tion  in  the  solid  rock,  the  mouth  of  which  has  probably 
been  built  up,  in  part,  in  order  to  retain  the  water. 
A  few  steps  lead  down  on  the  inside  to  the  water, 
beneath  the  vaulted  rock ;  and  close  at  hand  on  the 
outside  is  the  reservoir.  The  water  finds  its  way 
out  beneath  the  steps  into  the  latter.  This  basin 
is  perhaps  five  or  six  feet  in  breadth,  forming  merely 
the  entrance,  or  rather  the  termination,  of  the  long  and 
narrow  subterranean  passage  beyond,  by  which  the 

1)  Pococke,  II.  pp.  23,  24.  fol.  2)  See  above,  pp.  341,  342. 
Kortens  Reise,  pp.  Ill,  112. 


VOL.  I. 


63 


498 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  V1L 


water  comes  from  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin.  Our 
examination  of  this  passage,  and  the  character  and 
irregular  flow  of  the  water,  will  be  described  in  speak¬ 
ing  of  that  fountain  further  on. 

A  rude  path  which  follows  along  the  west  side  of 
the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  crosses  the  mouth  of  the 
Tyropoeon  upon  a  causeway  near  the  ancient  mul¬ 
berry-tree,  which  marks  the  legendary  site  of  Isaiah’s 
martyrdom.1  Just  above  this  causeway,  the  ground  is 
lower,  forming  a  sort  of  basin,  which  is  now  tilled  as 
a  garden.  Here,  according  to  the  reports  of  travellers 
near  the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century,  was  formerly 
another  larger  reservoir,  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram 
rounded  off  at  the  western  end.  It  was  dry  in  that 
age,  and  was  probably  not  long  after  broken  up ;  in¬ 
asmuch  as  Q,uaresmius  makes  no  distinct  mention  of 
it.  Brocardus  speaks  also  of  two  reservoirs,  which  in 
his  day  received  the  waters  of  the  fountain  of  Siloam. 
Not  improbably  both  were  ancient.2 

The  Muhammedans,  like  the  Christians,  have  a 
great  veneration  for  this  fountain ;  and  their  prophet 
is  reported  to  have  declared :  u  Zemzem  and  Siloah 
are  two  fountains  of  Paradise.”3  Yet  in  Christian 
lands  the  name  is  consecrated  by  stronger  and  holier 
associations ;  and  the  celebrity  of 

“  Siloa’s  brook  that  flowed 
Fast  by  the  oracle  of  God,” 

is  coextensive  perhaps  with  the  spread  of  Christianity 
itself. 

Fountain  of  the  Virgin.  On  the  west  side  of  the 

1)  See  above,  p.  342.  This  tree  2)  See  Zuallardo  Viaggio,  p. 
is  mentioned  as  “  antichissimo”  by  135.  Cotovic.  p.  292.  Quaresmius 
Zuallardo  in  A.  D.  1586;  Viag-  II.  p.  285.  Brocardus  c.  8. 
gio,  p.  135.  Comp.  Cotovic.  Itin.  3)  Hist,  of  Jerus.  in  Fundgr. 
p.  292.  Sandys5  Travels,  p.  146.  des  Orients,  II.  p.  130. 


Sec.  VII.] 


FOUNTAIN  OF  THE  VIRGIN. 


499 


Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  eleven  hundred  feet  north¬ 
wards  from  the  rocky  point  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ty- 
ropoeon,  is  situated  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin  Mary;1 
called  by  the  natives  ’Ain  Uni  ed-Deraj ,  1  Mother  of 
Steps.’  In  speaking  of  Siloam  I  have  already  brought 
into  view  the  singular  fact,  that  there  is  no  historical 
notice  later  than  Josephus  which  can  be  applied  to 
this  fountain,  before  near  the  close  of  the  fifteenth 
century ;  and  have  also  mentioned  the  more  modern 
hypothesis,  which  regards  it  as  the  fountain  of  Silo¬ 
am,  in  distinction  from  the  pool  of  that  name.2  Others 
have  held  it  to  be  the  Gihon,  the  Rogel,  and  the 
Dragon-well  of  Scripture ;  so  that  in  fact  it  has  been 
taken  alternately  for  every  one  of  the  fountains,  which 
anciently  existed  at  Jerusalem.  It  is  unquestionably 
an  ancient  work ;  indeed  there  is  nothing  in  or  around 
the  Holy  City,  which  bears  more  distinctly  the  traces 
of  high  antiquity.  I  have  already  alluded  to  the  rea¬ 
sons  which  make  it  not  improbable,  that  this  was  the 
61  King’s  Pool”  of  Nehemiah,  and  the  “  Pool  of  Solomon” 
mentioned  by  Josephus,  near  which  the  wall  of  the 
city  passed,  as  it  ran  northwards  from  Siloam  along 
the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  to  the  eastern  side  of  the 
temple.3 

The  cavity  of  this  fountain  is  deep,  running  in 
under  the  western  wall  of  the  valley  ;  and  is  wholly 
excavated  in  the  solid  rock.  To  enter  it,  one  first 
descends  sixteen  steps ;  then  comes  a  level  place  of 
twelve  feet ;  and  then  ten  steps  more  to  the  water. 
The  steps  are  on  an  average  each  about  ten  inches 
high ;  and  the  whole  depth  therefore  is  about  25  feet ; 


1)  The  legend  by  which  this 
name  is  accounted  for,  relates  that 
the  Virgin  frequented  this  foun¬ 
tain  before  her  purification,  in  order 
to  wash  her  child’s  linen  ;  11  ad  ab- 
stergendos  filii  sui  Jesu  pannicu- 


los”  (clouts),  as  Quaresmius  has 
it ;  Vol.  II.  p.  290. 

2)  See  pp.  496,  497,  above. 

3)  See  p.  460,  above.  Nehem. 
ii.  14.  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  4.  2. 


500 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


or  some  ten  or  fifteen  feet  below  the  actual  bottom  of 
the  valley.  The  basin  itself  is  perhaps  15  feet  long 
by  5  or  6  feet  wide  ;  the  height  is  not  more  than  6  or  8 
feet.  The  bottom  is  strewed  with  small  stones ;  and 
the  water  flows  off  by  a  low  passage  at  the  interior 
extremity,  leading  under  the  mountain  to  Siloain. 
There  is  now  no  other  outlet  for  the  water  ;  and  ap¬ 
parently  a  different  one  never  existed. 

This  subterranean  passage  is  first  mentioned  by 
Quaresmius,  writing  about  A.  D.  1625. 1  He  relates 
the  unsuccessful  attempt  of  his  friend  Vinhouen  to  ex¬ 
plore  it ;  and  says  that  a  Pater  Julius  had  passed 
through  it  a  few  years  before.  But  he  gives  no  defi¬ 
nite  information  respecting  the  canal ;  and  is  unable 
to  say,  whether  the  waters  of  Siloam  come  from  the 
Fountain  of  Mary.2  Notwithstanding  this  tolerably 
full  notice,  the  canal  seems  to  have  been  again 
forgotten,  or  at  least  overlooked,  for  another  century. 
Monconys,  Doubdan,  le  Bran,  and  Maundrell,  all  of 
whom  were  no  careless  observers,  are  wholly  silent 
as  to  its  existence ;  although  they  describe  both  the 
fountains.3  Slight  and  imperfect  notices  of  it  again 
appear  in  the  eighteenth  century,  and  more  in  the  nine¬ 
teenth.4  All  these  however  are  so  confused  and  un¬ 
satisfactory,  that  the  latest  and  most  successful  inves¬ 
tigator  of  the  topography  of  Jerusalem,  declares  in 


1)  There  seems  to  be  an  allu¬ 
sion  to  the  same  canal  in  Amel- 
mi  Descript.  Terrae  Sanct.  A.  D. 
1509,  in  Basnage  Thesaur.  Monu- 
mentor.  Tom.  IV.  pp.  791,  792. 

2)  Q,uaresmius  Elucid.  Terr. 
Sanct.  II.  pp.  289,  290. 

3)  Von  Troilo  in  1666  speaks  of 

the  irregular  flow  of  Siloam,  and 
says,  that  the  water  comes  through 
hidden  pipes  under  ground  ;  but  in 
attempting  to  account  for  this,  it 
does  not  even  occur  to  him  that 
there  is  any  connection  with  the 


Virgin’s  fountain.  Reisebeschr. 
Dresd.  1676,  pp.  260-262. 

4)  Van  Egmond  and  Heyman 
make  the  water  flow  from  Siloam 
to  the  other  fountain  ;  Reizen, 
etc.  I.  p.  392.  Comp.  Pococke’s 
Descr.  of  the  East,  II.  pp.  23,  24, 
fol.  Kortens  Reise,  p.  112.  Cha¬ 
teaubriand  Itin.  Paris  1837,  II.  p.  32. 
Buckingham’s  Travels,  etc.  p.  188. 
Richardson’s  Travels,  II.  p.  357. 
O.  v.  Richter’s  Wallfahrten,  p.  31. 
Sieber’s  Reise,  p.  65.  Hogg’s 
Visit,  etc.  II.  p.  237.  etc. 


Sec.  VIL]  subterranean  channel  to  siloam. 


501 


A.  D.  1839,  that  the  question  is  yet  undecided,  whether 
the  water  flows  from  the  Virgin’s  fountain  to  Siloam, 
or  vice  versa } 

We  found  it  to  be  the  current  belief  at  Jerusalem, 
both  among  natives  and  foreigners,  that  a  passage 
existed  quite  through  between  the  two  fountains ;  but 
no  one  had  himself  explored  it,  or  could  give  any  de¬ 
finite  information  respecting  it.  We  therefore  deter¬ 
mined  to  examine  it  ourselves,  should  a  fit  opportunity 
occur.  Repairing  one  afternoon  (April  27th)  to  Siloam, 
in  order  to  measure  the  reservoir,  we  found  no  person 
there  ;  and  the  water  in  the  basin  being  low,  we  em¬ 
braced  this  opportunity  for  accomplishing  our  purpose. 
Stripping  off  our  shoes  and  stockings  and  rolling  our 
garments  above  our  knees,  we  entered  with  our 
lights  and  measuring  tapes  in  our  hands.  The  water 
was  low,  nowhere  over  a  foot  in  depth,  and  for  the 
most  part  not  more  than  three  or  four  inches,  w'ith 
hardly  a  perceptible  current.  The  bottom  is  every¬ 
where  covered  with  sand,  brought  in  by  the  waters. 
The  passage  is  cut  wholly  through  the  solid  rock, 
everywhere  about  two  feet  wide ;  somewhat  winding, 
but  in  a  general  course  N.  N.  E.  For  the  first  hun¬ 
dred  feet,  it  is  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  high ;  for 
another  hundred  feet  or  more,  from  six  to  ten  feet ; 
and  afterwards  not  more  than  four  feet  high  ;  thus 
gradually  becoming  lower  and  lower  as  we  advanced. 
At  the  end  of  800  feet,  it  became  so  low,  that  we  could 
advance  no  further  without  crawling  on  all  fours,  and 
bringing  our  bodies  close  to  the  water.  As  we  were 
not  prepared  for  this,  we  thought  it  better  to  retreat, 
and  try  again  another  day  from  the  other  end.  Tra¬ 
cing  therefore  upon  the  roof  with  the  smoke  of  our 

X)  Crome,  in  Ersch  u.  Gruber’s  Comp.  Rosenmueller’s  Bibl.  Geo g. 
Encyclop.  art.  Jerusalem ,  p.  281.  II.  ii.  p.  251. 


502 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  V1L 


candles  the  initials  of  our  names  and  the  figures  800, 
as  a  mark  of  our  progress  on  this  side,  we  returned 
with  our  clothes  somewhat  wet  and  soiled. 

It  was  not  until  three  days  afterwards,  (April  30th,) 
that  we  were  able  to  complete  our  examination  and 
measurement  of  the  passage.  We  went  now  to  the 
Fountain  of  the  Virgin  ;  and  having  measured  the 
external  distance  (1100  feet)  down  to  the  point  East 
of  Siloam,  we  concluded,  that  as  we  had  already  en¬ 
tered  800  feet  from  the  lower  end,  there  could  now 
remain  not  over  three  or  four  hundred  feet  to  he 
explored.  We  found  the  end  of  the  passage  at  the 
upper  fountain  rudely  built  up  with  small  loose  stones, 
in  order  to  retain  the  water  at  a  greater  depth  in  the 
excavated  basin.  Having  caused  our  servants  to  clear 
away  these  stones,  and  having  clothed  (or  rather  un¬ 
clothed)  ourselves  simply  in  a  pair  of  wide  Arab 
drawers,  we  entered  and  crawled  on,  hoping  soon  to 
arrive  at  the  point  which  we  had  reached  from  the 
other  fountain.  The  passage  here  is  in  general  much 
lower  than  at  the  other  end  ;  most  of  the  way  we  could 
indeed  advance  upon  our  hands  and  knees  ;  yet  in 
several  places  we  could  only  get  forward,  by  lying  at 
full  length  and  dragging  ourselves  along  on  our  elbows. 

The  sand  at  the  bottom  has  probably  a  considera¬ 
ble  depth,  thus  filling  up  the  canal  in  part ;  for  otherwise 
it  is  inconceivable,  how  the  passage  could  ever  have 
been  thus  cut  through  the  solid  rock.  At  any  rate, 
only  a  single  person  could  have  wrought  in  it  at  a 
time  ;  and  it  must  have  been  the  labour  of  many  years. 
There  are  here  many  turns  and  zigzags.  In  several 
places  the  workmen  had  cut  straight  forward  for 
some  distance,  and  then  leaving  this,  had  begun 
again  further  back  at  a  different  angle ;  so  that  there 
is  at  first  the  appearance  of  a  passage  branching  off. 
We  examined  all  these  false  cuts  very  minutely,  in 


Sec.  VII.]  SUBTERRANEAN  CHANNEL  TO  SILOAM. 


503 


the  hope  of  finding  some  such  lateral  passage,  by  which 
water  might  come  in  from  another  quarter.  We  found, 
however,  nothing  of  the  kind.  The  w  ay  seemed  in¬ 
terminably  long ;  and  wre  were  for  a  time  suspicious, 
that  we  had  fallen  upon  a  passage  different  from  that 
which  we  had  before  entered.  But  at  length,  after 
having  measured  950  feet,  wTe  arrived  at  our  former 
mark  of  800  feet  traced  with  smoke  upon  the  ceiling. 
This  makes  the  whole  length  of  the  passage  to  he 
1750  feet ;  or  several  hundred  feet  greater  than  the 
direct  distance  externally, — a  result  scarcely  conceiv¬ 
able,  although  the  passage  is  very  winding.  We 
came  out  again  at  the  fountain  of  Siloam.1 

In  constructing  this  passage,  it  is  obvious  that  the 
workmen  commenced  at  both  ends,  and  met  some¬ 
where  in  the  middle.  At  the  upper  end,  the  work  was 
carried  along  on  the  level  of  the  upper  basin;  and 
there  was  a  tendency  to  go  too  far  towards  the  West 
under  the  mountain;  for  all  the  false  cuts  above  men¬ 
tioned  are  on  the  right.  At  the  lower  end,  the  exca¬ 
vation  wrould  seem  to  have  been  begun  on  a  higher 
level  than  at  present ;  and  when  on  meeting  the  shaft 
from  the  other  end,  this  level  was  found  to  be  too 
high,  the  bottom  was  lowered  until  the  water  flowed 
through  it ;  thus  leaving  the  southern  end  of  the  pas¬ 
sage  much  loftier  than  any  other  part.  The  bottom 
has  very  little  descent;  so  that  the  two  basins  are 
nearly  on  the  same  level ;  the  upper  one  ten  feet  or 
more  below  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  the  other 

1)  Vinhouen,  the  correspondent  cept  with  great  difficulty.  At 
of  Quaresmius,  gives  a  very  simi-  length  he  extricated  himself  and 
lar  account  of  this  passage,  as  far  returned,  “  licet  bene  madidus  et 
as  he  saw  it.  He  entered  from  the  sordibus  plenus.”  He  entered 
upper  end,  creeping  on  his  hands  again  the  next  day  at  the  lower 
and  knees,  and  sometimes  at  full  end  ;  but  did  not  succeed  in  pass- 
length  ;  until  in  a  low  spot  his  can-  ing  through  the  whole  length, 
die  went  out,  and  he  could  neither  Quaresmius  Elucidat.  II.  pp.  289, 
strike  a  light  nor  turn  round  ex-  290. 


504 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VIL 


some  forty  feet  above  the  same  valley.  The  water 
flows  through  the  passage  gently  and  with  little  cur¬ 
rent  ;  and  I  am  unable  to  account  for  the  “  great  noise” 
of  which  Jerome  speaks,  unless  he  refers  perhaps  to 
the  time  of  the  irregular  ebullition  of  the  waters.1 

The  purpose  for  which  this  difficult  work  was  un¬ 
dertaken,  it  is  not  easy  to  discover.  The  upper  basin 
must  obviously  have  been  excavated  at  an  earlier 
period  than  the  lower ;  and  there  must  have  been  some¬ 
thing  to  be  gained,  by  thus  carrying  its  waters  through 
the  solid  rock  into  the  valley  of  the  Tyropoeon.  If 
the  object  had  been  merely  to  irrigate  the  gardens 
which  lay  in  that  quarter,  this  might  have  been  ac¬ 
complished  with  far  less  difficulty  and  expense,  by  con¬ 
ducting  the  water  around  upon  the  outside  of  the  hill. 
But  the  whole  looks  as  if  the  advantage  of  a  fortified 
city  had  been  taken  into  the  account ;  and  as  if  it  had 
been  important  to  carry  this  water  from  one  point  to 
the  other  in  such  a  way,  that  it  could  not  be  cut  oft’ 
by  a  besieging  army.  Now  as  this  purpose  would 
have  been  futile,  had  either  of  these  points  lain  with¬ 
out  the  ancient  fortifications ;  this  circumstance  fur¬ 
nishes  an  additional  argument,  to  show  that  the  ancient 
wall  probably  ran  along  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat, 
or  at  least  descended  to  it,  and  included  both  Siloam 
and  this  upper  fountain ;  which  then  either  consti¬ 
tuted  or  supplied  the  “  King’s  Pool,”  or  “  Pool  of  Solo¬ 
mon.”2 

The  water  in  both  these  fountains,  then,  is  the 
same;  notwithstanding  travellers  have  pronounced 
that  of  Siloam  to  be  bad,  and  that  of  the  upper  foun¬ 
tain  to  be  good.  We  drank  of  it  often  in  both  places. 

1)  See  above,  p.  494,  Note  4. —  name  Siloah  in  Hebrew,  sent ,  viz. 
This  subterraneous  passage  cor-  missio  aquae ,  an  aqueduct. 
responds  entirely  to  the  alleged  2)  See  above,  pp.  460,  499. 
etymological  signification  of  the 


Sec.  VII.] 


♦ 


IRREGULAR  FLOW  OF  SILOAM.  505 


It  lias  a  peculiar  taste,  sweetish  and  very  slightly 
brackish,  but  not  at  all  disagreeable.  Later  in  the 
season,  when  the  wrater  is  low,  it  is  said  to  become 
more  brackish  and  unpleasant.  It  is  the  common  wa¬ 
ter  used  by  the  people  of  Kefr  Selwan.1  We  did  not 
learn  that  it  is  regarded  as  medicinal,  or  particularly 
good  for  the  eyes,  as  is  reported  by  travellers ;  though 
it  is  not  improbable  that  such  a  popular  belief  may 
exist.2 

The  irregular  flow  of  the  water  mentioned  by 
writers  of  the  earlier  and  middle  ages  as  characteristic 
of  Siloam,  must  of  course  belong  equally  to  both  foun¬ 
tains  ;  except  as  the  rush  of  the  water  towards  Siloam 
would  be  nowadays  impeded  and  diminished,  by  the 
dam  of  loose  stones  at  the  upper  end  of  the  passage. 
The  earlier  writers  who  speak  of  this  phenomenon, 
have  alreadv  been  cited.3  But  ever  since  the  four- 
teenth  century,  this  remarkable  circumstance  seems 
to  have  been  almost,  if  not  entirely,  overlooked  by 
travellers.  I  have  searched  in  vain  through  all  the 
more  important  writers,  from  Sir  John  Maundeville 
down  to  the  present  day,  without  finding  any  distinct 
notice  respecting  it,  derived  from  personal  observa¬ 
tion.4;  Qffiaresmius,  who  describes  most  fully  both  the 
fountains*  is  wholly  silent  as  to  any  irregularity ;  as  are 
also  all  the  writers  on  Biblical  Geography  from  Adri- 


1)  See  above,  p.  342. 

2)  Monro’s  Summer  Ramble  in 
Syria,  I.  pp.  199,  200.  Comp.  Coto- 
vic.  Itin.  p.  292.  De  Salignaco  in 
A.  D.  1522  describes  the  water  of 
Siloah  as  not  only  good  to  prevent 
blindness  and  ophthalmia,  but  also 
for  other  cosmetic  uses :  “  Porro 
aqua  fontis  ipsis  etiam  Saracenis 
in  pretio  est,  adeo  ut  cum  naturali- 
ter  foeteant  instar  hircorum,  hujus 
fontis  lotione  foetorem  mitigant  seu 
depellant.”  Tom.  X.  c.  1. 

3)  See  above,  pp.  494,  495. 


4)  Surius,  Morone,  von  Troilo, 
and  perhaps  others,  slightly  men¬ 
tion  the  irregular  flow ;  but  leave 
it  uncertain  whether  they  speak 
from  personal  knowledge,  or  mere¬ 
ly  (as  in  so  many  other  instances) 
from  traditional  report.  Surius 
Pelerin,  p.  400.  Morone  Terra 
Santa  illustr.  I.  p.  225.  Von  Troi- 
lo’s  Reisebeschr.  Dresd.  1676.  p. 
261.  Nau  says  the  water  flows  reg¬ 
ularly  in  the  fountain  of  the  Vir¬ 
gin;  but  irregularly  and  at  different 
hours  in  Siloam ;  Voyage  p.  308.' 


VOL.  I. 


64 


506 


JERUSALEM. — ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


chomius  and  Reland  onward  to  the  present  time  ;  ex¬ 
cept  so  far  as  they  refer  to  the  testimony  of  Jerome. 
Yet  the  popular  belief  in  this  phenomenon  is  still  firm 
among  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  ;  our  friends  had 
often  heard  of  it ;  but  having  themselves  never  seen 
the  irregular  flow,  they  regarded  the  story  as  one  of 
the  many  popular  legends  of  the  country. 

We  were  more  fortunate  in  this  respect;  having 
been  very  unexpectedly  witnesses  of  the  phenomenon 
in  question  ;  and  we  are  thus  enabled  to  rescue  an¬ 
other  ancient  historical  fact  from  the  long  oblivion,  or 
rather  discredit,  into  which  it  had  fallen  for  so  many 
centuries.  As  we  were  preparing  to  measure  the  basin 
of  the  upper  fountain  (in  the  afternoon  of  April  30th) 
and  explore  the  passage  leading  from  it,  my  companion 
was  standing  on  the  lower  step  near  the  water,  with 
one  foot  on  the  step  and  the  other  on  a  loose  stone 
lying  in  the  basin.  All  at  once  he  perceived  the  wa¬ 
ter  coming  into  his  shoe  ;  and  supposing  the  stone  had 
rolled,  he  withdrew  his  foot  to  the  step  ;  which  how¬ 
ever  was  also  now  covered  with  water.  This  instantly 
excited  our  curiosity;  and  we  now  perceived  the 
water  rapidly  bubbling  up  from  under  the  lower  step. 
In  less  than  five  minutes  it  had  risen  in  the  basin 
nearly  or  quite  a  foot ;  and  we  could  hear  it  gurgling 
off  through  the  interior  passage.  In  ten  minutes  more 
it  had  ceased  to  flow ;  and  the  water  in  the  basin  was 
again  reduced  to  its  former  level.  Thrusting  my  staff 
in  under  the  lower  step,  whence  the  water  appeared 
to  come,  I  found  that  there  was  here  a  large  hollow 
space ;  but  a  further  examination  could  not  be  made 
without  removing  the  steps. 

Meanwhile  a  woman  of  Kefr  Selwan  came  to  wash 
at  the  fountain.1  She  was  accustomed  to  frequent  the 

1)  Some  days  afterwards  I  also  their  linen  at  this  fountain  and  also 
found  parties  of  soldiers  washing  at  Siloam. 


Sec.  VII.] 


IRREGULAR  FLOW  OF  SILOAM. 


507 


place  every  day ;  and  from  her  we  learned,  that  the 
flowing  of  the  water  occurs  at  irregular  intervals ; 
sometimes  two  or  three  times  a  day,  and  sometimes 
in  summer  once  in  two  or  three  days.  She  said,  she 
had  seen  the  fountain  dry,  and  men  and  flocks,  depen¬ 
dent  upon  it,  gathered  around  and  suffering  from  thirst ; 
when  all  at  once  the  water  would  begin  to  boil  up 
from  under  the  steps,  and  (as  she  said)  from  the 
bottom  in  the  interior  part,  and  flow  oflf  in  a  copious 
stream. 

In  order  to  account  for  this  irregularity,  the  com¬ 
mon  people  say,  that  a  great  dragon  lies  within  the 
fountain ;  when  he  is  awake,  he  stops  the  water ; 
when  he  sleeps,  it  flows.  An  Arab  who  was  there, 
whom  we  had  seen  at  the  bath  in  the  city,  said  that 
the  water  comes  down  from  the  fountain  beneath  the 
great  mosk,  of  which  I  shall  speak  immediately.  But 
how,  or  why?  Was  there  perhaps  originally  a  small 
and  failing  fountain  here,  to  which  afterwards  other 
waters  were  conducted  from  the  temple  ?  Some  sup¬ 
position  of  this  kind  seems  necessary,  in  order  to  ac¬ 
count  for  the  large  excavation  in  this  place.  Is  per¬ 
haps  the  irregular  flow  to  be  explained  by  some  such 
connection  with  waters  from  above,  the  taste  of  which 
we  found  on  trial  to  be  the  same  ?  This  is  a  mystery 
which  former  ages  have  not  solved  ;  and  which  it  must 
be  left  to  the  researches  of  future  travellers,  under 
more  favourable  auspices,  fully  to  unfold. 

In  the  account  of  the  Pool  of  Bethesda,  situated 
near  the  Sheep  [-Gate],  we  are  told  that  “  an  angel 
went  down  at  a  certain  season  into  the  pool,  and 
troubled  the  water and  then  whosoever  first  stepped 
in,  was  made  whole.1  There  seems  to  have  been  here 
no  special  medicinal  virtue  in  the  water  itself;  but 


1)  John  v.  2-7. 


508 


JERU  SALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


only  he  who  first  stepped  in  after  the  troubling,  was 
healed.  Does  not  this  u  troubling’7  of  the  water  look 
like  the  irregular  flow  of  the  fountain  just  described  ? 
And  as  the  Sheep-Gate  seems  to  have  been  situated 
not  far  froiti  the  temple,1  and  the  wall  of  the  ancient 
city  probably  ran  along  this  valley ;  may  not  that 
gate  have  been  somewhere  in  this  part,  and  this  Foun¬ 
tain  of  the  Virgin  have  been  Bethesda  ?  the  same  with 
the  u  King’s  Pool”  of  Nehemiah  and  the  a  Solomon’s 
Pool”  of  Josephus?  I  suggest  these  questions  as  per¬ 
haps  worthy  of  consideration  ;  without  having  myself 
any  definite  conviction  either  way  upon  the  subject.2 

Fountain  under  the  Grand  Mask.  Not  long  after 
our  arrival  at  Jerusalem,  we  were  informed  by  our 
friends,  that  in  conversation  with  intelligent  Mussul¬ 
mans  they  had  been  told  of  a  living  fountain  under 
the  Haram  esh-Sherif ;  from  which  a  bath  in  the  vici¬ 
nity  was  in  part  supplied.  -  We  took  up  the  inquiry, 
and  received  similar  information  from  various  quarters. 
As  the  Mufti  of  Jerusalem  one  day  paid  a  visit  to  our 
host,  this  fountain  was  mentioned  in  the  course  of  con¬ 
versation,  and  he  confirmed  the  accounts  which  we 
had  previously  heard.  On  being  asked  whether  we 
could  visit  it ;  he  said  there  would  be  no  difficulty, 
and  expressed  a  desire  to  afford  us  every  facility  in 
our  researches. 

We  now  repaired  to  the  bath,  (April  28th,)  which  is 
situated  in  a  covered  passage  leading  to  one  of  the  west¬ 
ern  en  trances  of  the  enclosure  of  the  mosk.  It  is  called 
Hiimmam  esh-Shefa,  u  Bath  of  Healing,”  and  is  appa¬ 
rently  much  used  by  those  frequenting  the  Haram.  We 
were  conducted  through  the  bath,  and  through  sev- 

1)  Nehem.  iii.  1,  32.  The  2)  Comp,  the  similar  conjecture 
Sheep-Gate  was  built  up  by  the  of  Lightloot  in  regard  to  this  sub¬ 
priests,  who  of  course  dwelt  in  and  ject;  Opp.  II.  p.  588. 
around  the  temple. 


Sec.  VII.] 


FOUNTAIN  UNDER  THE  HARAM. 


509 


eral  apartments  and  passages,  to  the  parallel  street  lead¬ 
ing  to  the  southern  entrance  of  the  mosk ;  and  then  up  a 
dight  of  steps  on  the  left  to  a  platform,  or  rather  the  flat 
roof  of  a  low  building,  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  street.  Here,  in  a  low  arched  room, 
we  found  two  men  drawing  water  from  a  narrow  and 
deep  well,  in  leathern  buckets  suspended  over  a  pully. 
The  depth  of  the  well,  by  careful  measurement,  proved 
to  be  82J  feet,  or  about  65  feet  below  the  surface  of 
the  ground ;  the  water  stood  in  it  three  and  a  half 
feet  deep.  The  distance  from  the  well  to  the  wall  of 
the  area  of  the  mosk,  I  found  to  be  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  feet. 

The  elder  of  the  two  men  said  that  he  had  often 
been  at  the  bottom  of  the  well ;  and  was  willing  to 
accompany  us,  if  we  would  go  down.  The  water  he 
said  comes  to  the  well  through  a  passage  of  mason- 
work,  four  or  five  feet  high,  from  under  the  Sukhrah  or 
grand  mosk.  This  passage  is  entered  from  the  well 
by  a  doorway  ;  and  one  has  to  stoop  a  little  in  passing 
through.  It  leads  first  through  a  room  of  considerable 
size,  arched,  and  supported  by  fourteen  marble  columns 
with  capitals ;  and  afterwards  terminates  in  a  room 
under  the  Sukhrah  about  eight  or  ten  feet  square,  cut  out 
of  the  solid  rock  ;  which  is  entered  by  another  similar 
doorway.  Here  the  water  boils  up  from  the  rock  in 
a  basin  at  the  bottom.  He  knew  of  no  other  passage, 
open  or  closed,  from  this  room,  nor  from  the  main  pas¬ 
sage,  by  which  the  water  could  flow  oflf;  but  said 
there  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  well,  a  door  closed  up 
on  the  other  side,  leading  no  one  knew  whither.  This 
water  in  dry  seasons  ceases  to  flow  out  into  the  well ; 
and  then  they  are  obliged  to  descend  and  bring  it  out 
from  the  fountain  by  hand  into  the  well,  in  order  to 
supply  the  bath.  There  is  no  known  way  of  access 


510 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


to  the  fountain,  except  by  descending  into  this  well.1 
They  all  declared,  that  when  the  keeper  of  the  hath 
takes  pay  of  poor  Muslim  pilgrims  for  bathing,  the 
water  is  miraculously  stopped.  We  drank  of  the 
water  ;  and  found  that  it  had  the  same  peculiar  taste, 
which  we  had  remarked  in  the  waters  of  Siloam  and 
the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin  in  the  valley  below.  We 
inquired  whether  this  fountain  had  any  connection 
with  those  in  the  valley,  and  were  told  that  there  was 
none  ;  but  when  we  afterwards  saw  the  same  man  at 
the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin,  he  declared  that  there  was 
a  connection. — The  above  account  was  afterwards 
confirmed  to  us  by  the  keeper  of  the  bath. 

Had  we  been  prepared  at  the  time  to  descend  into 
the  well  and  explore  the  fountain,  we  should  perhaps 
have  met  with  little  difficulty;  or  at  least  a  small 
bakhshish  would  have  removed  every  obstacle.  But 
when  we  repaired  thither  again  three  days  afterwards 
(May  1st),  with  lights  and  a  stronger  rope  and  pully, 
they  began  to  think  it  a  matter  of  importance,  and 
were  unwilling  to  let  us  go  down  without  authority 
from  their  superiors.  We  therefore  deferred  our  pur¬ 
pose  and  returned  home,  after  taking  more  exact 
measurements  than  before,  and  letting  down  a  light 
into  the  well,  which  continued  to  burn  brightly  quite 
to  the  bottom.  The  bath-keeper  afterwards  consulted 
the  Mutawelly  of  the  Haram,  who  said  he  would  ask 
the  opinion  of  the  council.  But  as  this  would  give  to 
the  matter  a  greater  notoriety  than  was  desirable; 


1)1  have  since  been  informed 
by  Mr.  Catherwood,  that  just  with¬ 
in  the  western  entrance  of  the 
Great  Mosk  itself,  at  the  right 
hand,  is  a  deep  well,  from  which 
water  is  drawn  for  ablutions.  He 
suggests,  that  this  well  or  fountain 


may  possibly  have  some  connection 
with  that  described  in  the  text,  if 
it  be  not  the  same.  But  this  would 
not  accord  with  the  information 
received  by  us  from  the  Mufti  and 
people  at  the  bath,  as  well  as  from 
other  independent  sources. 


Sec.  VH.] 


FOUNTAIN  UNDER  THE  HARAM, 


511 


and  as  the  Mufti  had  already  told  us,  that  there  would 
he  no  objection  to  our  descending ;  we  preferred  making 
the  application  directly  to  him.  He  was  accordingly 
waited  upon;  hut  unfortunately  at  an  unpropitious 
moment,  when  he  was  surrounded  by  several  Muham- 
medan  doctors  and  others ;  and  his  reply  was,  that  the 
thing  was  not  in  his  hands,  hut  if  we  would  get  per¬ 
mission  and  a  Kawwas  (Janizary)  from  the  governor, 
there  would  he  no  difficulty.  Had  he  been  alone,  he 
might  perhaps  have  given  a  different  answer.  Per¬ 
ceiving  that  under  the  circumstances,  it  would  proba¬ 
bly  be  unavailing  to  press  the  matter  further  at  the 
moment,  we  thought  it  better  to  wait  and  apply  at  a 
later  period  to  the  Kaim  Makam,  or  military  governor, 
who  probably  would  have  at  once  granted  our  request. 
But  when  we  afterwards  returned  to  the  city  from  our 
excursions,  the  prevalence  of  the  plague  and  other 
circumstances  combined  to  hinder  us  from  making  the 
application ;  and  we  were  reluctantly  compelled  to 
forego  the  further  prosecution  of  this  interesting  inquiry. 

However  imperfect  or  exaggerated  the  preceding 
account  may  be  in  several  respects,  there  seems  no 
reason  for  doubt  as  to  the  main  fact,  viz.  that  there 
exists  in  the  heart  of  the  rock,  at  the  depth  of  some 
eighty  feet  underneath  the  Haram,  an  artificial  foun¬ 
tain;  the  water  of  which  has  the  same  essential 
characteristics,  as  that  flowing  out  at  the  artificial 
excavations  in  the  valley  below.  This  fountain  natr 
urally  reminds  us  of  that  mentioned  by  Tacitus,1  and 
still  more  strongly  of  the  language  of  Aristaeas ;  who 
in  describing  the  ancient  temple,  informs  us  that  “  the 
supply  of  water  was  unfailing,  inasmuch  as  there  was 
an  abundant  natural  fountain  flowing  in  the  interior, 
and  reservoirs  of  admirable  construction  under  ground, 

1)  “Fons  perennis  aquae,  cava-  See  this  more  fully  quoted  abov®, 
ti  sub  terra  montesj”  Hist.  V.  12.  p.  452,  Note  3. 


512 


JERUSALEM. — ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


extending  five  stadia  around  the  temple,  with  pipes 
and  conduits  unknown  to  all  except  those  to  whom 
the  service  was  intrusted,  by  which  the  water  was 
brought  to  various  parts  of  the  temple  and  again  con¬ 
ducted  off,”1  This  account  is  also  doubtless  exagger¬ 
ated.  Yet  all  the  circumstances  taken  together  ren¬ 
der  it  not  improbable,  that  there  may  be  some  hidden 
channel,  by  which  the  waters  of  the  fountain  beneath 
the  mosk  are  carried  down  to  the  valley  below.  From 
what  quarter  they  are  first  brought  into  this  excava¬ 
ted  chamber,  is  a  question  which  presents  no  less  dif¬ 
ficulty.  There  seems  little  reason  to  doubt  that  the 
whole  work  is  artificial ;  and  we  may  perhaps  reason¬ 
ably  conjecture,  that  it  stood  in  some  connection  with 
the  ancient  fountain  of  Gihon  on  the  higher  ground 
west  of  the  city. 

Fountain  of  Gihon.  The  place  to  which  Solomon 
was  brought  from  Jerusalem  to  be  anointed,  was  call¬ 
ed  Gihon ;  but  the  direction  of  it  from  the  city  is  not 
specified.2  At  a  later  period  we  are  told  of  king 
Hezekiah,  that  he  “  stopped  the  upper  water-course 
[or  upper  out-flow  of  the  waters]  of  Gihon,  and  brought 
it  down  to  the  west  side  of  the  city  of  David.”3  It  is 
said  too  that  “  he  took  counsel  with  his  princes  and 
his  mighty  men  to  stop  the  waters  of  the  fountains 
which  were  without  the  city ; — and  there  was  gath¬ 
ered  much  people  together,  who  stopped  all  the  foun¬ 
tains  and  the  brook  that  ran  through  the  midst  of  the 


1)  Aristae,  de  Leg.  div.  Transl. 
p.  112,  in  Joseph.  Opp.  Tom.  II. 
Append,  ed.  Havercamp,  vSaxoq 
(Tf  av  {■/.).  fiTtxoq  taxi  ouoxctfUq,  ojq 
av  y.cd  nrjyijq  I'ocj&ev  Ttokvonvxov 
cpvaixojq  intijoaovaTjq  x.  x.  k.  See 
also  Adrichomius,  p.  160.  Q,ua- 
resmius  II.  p.  292.  Lightfoot  Opp. 
I.  p.  612. — Yet  it  is  perhaps  doubt¬ 
ful,  whether  an  actual  fountain  is 


here  meant  in  the  passage  from 
Aristaeas  ;  or  only  a  constant  flow 
of  water  from  an  aqueduct,  as  if 
from  a  natural  fountain.  Lightfoot 
understands  the  language  in  the 
latter  way. 

2)  1  Kings  i.  33,  38. 

3)  2  Chron.  xxxii.  30.  Comp, 
also  xxxiii.  14. 


Sec.  VII.] 


FOUNTAIN  OF  GIHON. 


513 


land,  saying,  why  should  the  kings  of  Assyria  come, 
and  find  much  water  Vn  The  Son  of  Sirach  also  in¬ 
forms  us,  that  “  Hezekiah  strengthened  his  city,  and 
brought  in  water  into  the  midst  of  it ;  he  dug  with 
iron  into  the  rock,  and  built  fountains  for  the  waters.”2 
Josephus  mentions  also  the  fountain  of  Gihon.3  From 
all  these  passages  I  am  unable  to  arrive  at  any  other 
conclusion,  than  that  there  existed  anciently  a  fountain 
Gihon  on  the  west  of  the  city,  which  was  “  stopped  ” 
or  covered  over  by  Hezekiah,  and  its  waters  brought 
down  by  subterranean  channels  into  the  city.  Before 
that  time  it  would  naturally  have  flowed  down  through 
the  valley  of  Gihon  or  Hinnom  ;  and  probably  it  formed 
the  “  brook  ”  which  was  stopped  at  the  same  time. 

The  fountain  may  have  been  stopped  and  its 
waters  thus  secured  very  easily,  by  digging  deep  and 
erecting  over  it  one  or  more  vaulted  subterranean 
chambers.  Something  of  the  very  same  kind  is  still 
seen  at  the  fountain  near  Solomon’s  Pools  beyond 
Bethlehem;  where  the  water  rises  in  subterranean 
chambers,  to  which  there  is  no  access  except  down  a 
narrow  shaft  like  a  well.4  In  this  way  the  waters  of 
Gihon  would  be  withdrawn  from  the  enemy,  and  pre¬ 
served  to  the  city ;  in  which  they  would  seem  to  have 
been  distributed  among  various  reservoirs  and  foun¬ 
tains.  The  present  Pool  of  Hezekiah  was  probably 
one;  and  the  fountain  above  described  under  the  tem¬ 
ple  may  have  been  another.  Josephus  also  speaks  of 
an  aqueduct  which  conveyed  water  to  the  tower  of 
Hippicus,  and  of  one  connected  with  Herod’s  palace- 
on  Zion  ;5  both  of  which  would  naturally  have  come 
from  Gihon  or  its  reservoir. 

1)  2  Chron.  xxxii.  3, 4.  Similar  2)  Sirac.  xlviii.  17.  [19.]  Cod. 
precautions  were  taken  by  the  Mu-  Alex. 

hammedans  on  the  first  approach  3)  Joseph.  Antiq.  VII.  14.5. 
of  the  crusaders  to  Jerusalem;  4)  See  under  date  of  May  8  th. 
Will.  Tyr.  VIII.  7.  5)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  7.  3.  II.  17. 9. 

VOL.  I. 


65 


514 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


All  these  circumstances,  as  well  as  the  nature  of 
the  ground,  seem  to  leave  little  room  for  doubt,  that 
an  open  fountain  did  anciently  thus  exist  somewhere 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  upper  Pool  on  the  West  of  the 
city ;  the  waters  of  which  may  still  continue  to  flow 
by  subterranean  channels  down  to  the  ancient  tem¬ 
ple,  and  perhaps  to  Siloam.  This  fountain  of  course 
was  Gihon.1  But  to  arrive  at  entire  certainty  upon 
the  subject,  extensive  excavations  in  this  part  would 
probably  be  necessary ;  and  we  may  hope  that  the 
day  is  not  far  distant,  when  these  may  be  set  on  foot 
without  hindrance. 

The  Dragon  fountain  mentioned  by  Nehemiah, 
was  overagainst  the  Valley-Gate  ;  and  there  seems 
therefore  good  reason  to  suppose,  that  this  was  only 
another  name  for  the  fountain  of  Gihon.2 

The  Aqueduct.  The  course  of  the  Aqueduct 
which  brings  water  from  Solomon’s  Pools  to  the  great 
mosk,  has  already  been  described,  from  the  point 
where  it  crosses  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  and  winds 
around  the  sides  of  Zion.3  We  did  not  ourselves  see 
its  termination  in  the  area  of  the  mosk ;  but  the  unani¬ 
mous  testimony  both  of  Muhammedans  and  Christians 
leaves  no  doubt  upon  this  point.  It  probably  enters 


1)  For  a  similar  view,  see 
Crome  in  Ersch  and  Gruber’s  En- 
cycl.  art.  Jerusalem ,  p.  288.  In 
this  way  the  connection  between 
Gihon  and  Siloam,  which  some 
have  assumed,  may  still  be  true ; 
see  Gesenius  Lex.  Heb.  art.  ribtD. 
duaresmius  II.  p.  288. — Others 
have  regarded  Gihon  and  Siloam 
as  identical ;  on  the  ground  that  in 
1  Kings  i.  33,  38,  the  Tar  gum  of 
Jonathan  substitutes  Siloam  for 
Gihon.  But  as  this  Targum  is 
held  to  be  not  older  than  the  close 
of  the  second  century  after  Christ, 
when  the  correct  tradition  was 
probably  lost,  this  circumstance 


can  weigh  little  against  the  ex¬ 
press  language  of  2  Chron.  xxxii. 
30 ;  supported  as  it  is  by  vs.  3,  4 
of  the  same  chapter,  and  by  Si- 
rac.  xlviii.  17.  [19.]  Nor  is  the 
expression  “  down  to  Gihon”  in 
1  Kings  i.  33  inconsistent  with  the 
view  in  the  text ;  for  in  passing 
from  Zion  to  Gihon  on  the  West, 
there  is  first  a  somewhat  steep  de¬ 
scent,  and  then  a  gradual  rise  ;  and 
this  descent  was  probably  in  an¬ 
cient  times  still  more  marked. 

2) Nehem.  ii.  13.  See  p.  473, 
above. 

3)  See  above,  p.  390. 


Sec.  VIL] 


AQUEDUCT. 


515 


the  Haram  across  the  mound  already  described.1  T  In 
passing  along  the  road  to  Bethlehem,  the  aqueduct  is 
seen  from  the  plain  of  Rephaim  on  the  left ;  and 
again  on  approaching  Bethlehem,  on  the  low  ridge  be¬ 
tween  Wady  Ahmed  at  the  right  and  the  head  of  an¬ 
other  Wady  at  the  left.  Here  water  was  running  in 
it.  It  winds  eastwards  around  the  hill  on  which 
Bethlehem  stands ;  and  on  the  southern  side,  beyond 
the  town,  lies  at  some  depth  below  the  surface. 
Here  is  a  well,  or  rather  reservoir,  through  which  it 
flows ;  whence  the  water  is  drawn  up  with  buckets. 
The  channel  is  usually  conducted  along  the  surface 
of  the  ground ;  and  has  an  appearance  of  antiquity. 
For  some  distance  from  the  Pools  it  is  laid  with  earthen 
pipes  enclosed  and  covered  with  stones;  but  after¬ 
wards,  apparently,  it  consists  merely  of  stones  laid  in 
cement,  forming  a  small  channel  of  perhaps  a  foot  in 
breadth  and  depth.  Of  course,  being  thus  exposed, 
it  could  never  benefit  the  city  in  a  time  of  siege. 

That  the  aqueduct  is  ancient,  is  also  probable  from 
the  character  and  enormous  size  of  the  Pools  them¬ 
selves,  which  could  not  well  have  been  erected  on 
such  a  scale  for  any  purpose,  except  to  aid  in  furnish¬ 
ing  the  ordinary  supply  of  water  for  the  Holy  City.  They 
may  indeed  have  served  also  to  irrigate  gardens  in  the 
valley  below ;  but  this  could  hardly  have  been  their 
main  object.  Yet  there  is  no  mention  of  them  in  the 
Scriptures.  Later  Jewish  writers,  however,  as  cited 
in  the  Talmud,  speak  often  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  temple  was  supplied  with  water  by  an  aqueduct 
from  the  fountain  of  Etham,  which  lay  at  a  distance 
from  the  city  on  the  way  to  Hebron.1 2  This  notice 

1)  See  above,  p.  393.  In  2  Chr.  xi.  6,  “  Bethlehem  and 

2)  See  Lightfoot  Descr.  Tern-  Etam  and  Tekoa”  are  placed  to- 
pli  Hieros.  c.  23,  Opp.  I.  p.  612.  gether.  Comp.  Reland  Palaest. 
Ejusd.  Disq.  chorogr.  Joanni  prae-  p.  304,  558,  Ailam. 

missa  c.  v.  §5.  Opp.  II.  p.  589. — 


516 


JERUSALEM. — ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


could  not  well  have  been  an  invention  of  their  own ; 
corresponding  as  it  does  to  the  mention  of  an  Etham 
by  Josephus,  not  far  from  Jerusalem,  which  Solomon 
is  said  to  have  adorned  with  gardens  and  streams  of 
water.1  Those  writers  doubtless  refer  to  an  aqueduct 
which  of  old,  as  at  the  present  day,  connected  those 
ancient  reservoirs  with  the  temple  of  Jerusalem. 

This  aqueduct  seems  not  to  be  mentioned  by  any 
of  the  pilgrims  of  the  earlier  centuries,  nor  by  the  wri¬ 
ters  of  the  times  of  the  crusades.2  The  first  direct 
though  imperfect  allusion  to  it,  which  I  have  been 
able  to  find,  is  in  the  Itineraries  of  William  of  Bald- 
ensel  and  Rudolph  de  Suchem  (A.  D.  1336 — 50),  who 
speak  of  the  cisterns  of  Jerusalem  as  being  filled  with 
water  brought  under  ground  from  Hebron,  which 
however  could  be  seen  along  the  way.  A  similar 
allusion  occurs  in  Gumpenberg’s  Journal  A.  D*  1449. 
A  fuller  notice  is  given  by  F.  Fabri  in  1483;  but 
Cotovicus  a  century  later  (A.  D.  1598),  is  apparently 
the  first  to  make  known  both  the  pools  and  aqueduct 
with  tolerable  exactness.3  Since  that  time  the  pools 
have  been  often  described;  while  the  aqueduct  has 
usually  passed  over  with  a  slight  notice.4 

X.  CEMETERIES,  TOMBS,  ETC. 

The  four  Christian  cemeteries  upon  Mount  Zion 
have  already  been  described  ;5  as  also  the  three  burial- 
places  of  the  Muhammedans ;  one  along  the  eastern 
wall  of  the  city  next  the  Haram  esh-Sherif;  another 

1)  Antiq.  VIII.  7.  3.  3)  See  Reissb.  des  h.  Landes, 

2)  Perhaps  a  trace  of  it  may  be  Ed.  2.  pp.  843,  461,  283.  Cotovici 
found  in  the  remark  of  Adamna-  Itin.  pp.  241 — 243.  Zuallardo, 
nus,  (I.  17,)  that  in  going  from  the  twelve  years  earlier,  seems  to 
Gate  of  David  down  the  valley,  speak  only  from  report ;  p.235. 
with  Mount  Zion  on  the  left,  there  4)  Comp,  the  art.  Jerusalem  by 
was  a  stone  bridge  crossing  the  Crome,  p.  280,  in  Ersch  and  Gru- 
valley  on  arches.  This  answers  to  ber’s  Encycl. 

the  aqueduct,  which  here  crosses  5)  See  above,  pp.  337 — 341. 
on  nine  very  low  arches. 


Sec.  VIL] 


SEPULCHRAL  MONUMENTS. 


517 


on  the  West  near  the  Upper  Pool,  and  the  third  over 
the  grotto  of  Jeremiah  on  the  North.1  The  present 
cemetery  of  the  Jews  lies  on  the  western  slope  of  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  near  the  foot,  just  above  the  Tombs 
of  Absalom  and  Zacharias.  Here,  overagainst  their 
ancient  temple,  many  wanderers  of  that  remarkable 
people  come  to  mingle  their  bones  with  those  of  their 
fathers ;  awaiting  the  great  day  foretold  as  they  sup¬ 
pose  by  their  prophets,  when  the  Lord  shall  stand 
upon  the  Mount  of  Olives,  and  the  mountain  shall 
cleave  asunder,  and  the  dead  of  Israel  shall  rise  from 
beneath  it,  and  all  nations  he  judged  in  the  valley, 
and  Israel  he  avenged.2  The  slope  of  the  mountain 
is  here  thickly  covered  with  their  graves,  each  decked 
simply  with  a  stone  laid  flat  upon  it ;  on  which  is 
usually  a  Hebrew  inscription. 

Sepulchral  Monuments.  Under  this  term  I  here 
include  only  the  four  tombs  or  monumental  sepul¬ 
chres  situated  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Kidron,  and  opposite  to  the  S.  E. 
corner  of  the  area  of  the  Grand  Mosk.  These  are 
commonly  described  as  the  Tombs  of  Jehoshaphat, 
Absalom,  St.  James,  and  Zacharias.  This  I  believe 
to  he  the  most  usual  order  of  the  names,  beginning 
from  the  North ;  but  the  tradition  of  the  monks,  as 
well  as  the  judgment  of  travellers,  has  varied  much 
at  different  times  ;  so  that  these  names  have  been  fre¬ 
quently  applied  to  the  tombs  in  a  different  and  very 
uncertain  order.3  Those  of  Absalom  and  Zacharias, 


1)  See  above,  pp.  343,  345,  352. 

2)  Zecb.  xiv.  3 — 11.  Joel  iii. 
[iv.]  2,  12,  14, 20.  Lightfoot  Cent, 
chor.  Mattliaeo  praem.  c.  40.  Opp. 
II.  p.  201. 

3)  The  order  in  the  text  is  that 
given  by  Quaresmius,  II.  p.  249, 
seq.  and  also  by  Van  Egmond  and 
Heyman  and  by  Pococke,m  a  cen¬ 
tury  later.  The  same  appears  on 
monastic  authority  in  Cather- 


wood’s  Plan  of  Jerusalem,  1835. 
Cotovicus  gives  the  same  order  in 
his  text,  though  there  is  an  error 
in  his  engraving;  p.  294,  seq. — 
Prokesch  on  the  other  hand  applies 
the  names  of  Jehoshaphat  and 
Zacharias  to  those  above  called 
Zacharias  and  St.  James ;  Reise, 
p.  70.  Comp.  Schubert’s  Reise, 
II.  p.  524,  note. 


518 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  m 


here  so  called,  are  real  monuments  of  rock ;  the  other 
two  are  only  excavated  tombs  with  ornamented  por¬ 
tals. 

These  tombs  are  situated  in  the  narrowest  part  of 
the  V alley  of  Jehoshaphat,  where  a  shelf  or  ledge  of  rock 
extends  down  from  the  East,  and  terminates  in  an  al¬ 
most  perpendicular  face  just  over  the  bed  of  the  Kidron. 
The  tomb  of  Zacharias  on  the  South,  so  called  in  allu¬ 
sion  to  the  person  “  slain  between  the  temple  and  the 
altar,”1  lies  directy  beneath  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the 
area  of  the  ancient  temple,  and  is  wholly  hewn  out 
from  the  rocky  ledge  above  mentioned.  It  is  a  square 
block,  about  twenty  feet  on  each  side ;  the  rock 
having  been  cut  away  around  it  so  as  to  form  a  square 
niche  or  area,  in  which  it  stands  isolated,  leaving  a 
broad  passage  all  around  it.  The  body  of  the  tomb 
is  about  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  high,  and  apparently 
solid  ;  at  least  no  chamber  or  entrance  is  known.  The 
sides  are  decorated  each  with  two  columns  and  two 
half  columns;  the  latter  adjacent  to  square  pilasters 
at  the  comers,  and  all  having  capitals  of  the  Ionic 
order.  Around  the  cornice  is  an  ornament  of  acanthus 
leaves,  about  three  feet  high ;  and  above  this  the  top 
is  formed  by  an  obtuse  pyramid  of  ten  or  twelve  feet 
in  height.  The  whole  monument  has  thus  an  eleva¬ 
tion  of  about  thirty  feet ;  and,  with  all  its  ornaments, 
is  wholly  cut  out  from  the  solid  rock.2 

Just  North  of  this  is  the  excavated  cavern  into 
which  the  apostle  James  is  said  to  have  retired,  during 
the  interval  between  the  crucifixion  and  resurrection 
of  our  Lord  ;3  but  which  in  common  parlance  bears 
the  name  of  his  sepulchre.  The  entrance  is  by  an 
open  portal  with  three  or  four  Doric  columns,  fronting 

1) Matth.  xxiii.  35.  Luke  xi.  51.  Turner’s  Tour  in  the  Levant,  II. 

2)  Prokesch  describes  this  tomb  p.  251. 

under  the  name  of  Jehoshaphat:  3)  Quaresmius  II.  p.  258. 

see  his  Reise,  p.  70.  Comp,  also 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOMB  OF  ABSALOM,  ETC. 


519 


towards  the  West,  and  situated  tenor  fifteen  feet  above 
the  ground  in  the  same  ledge  of  rock.  The  cavern 
is  said  to  be  fifteen  feet  high  and  ten  broad,  and  to 
extend  back  some  fifty  feet.  There  is  another  entrance 
to  it  from  the  niche  around  the  adjacent  tomb  of  Zach- 
arias.1 

4 

The  tomb  of  Absalom  is  close  by  the  lower  bridge 
over  the  Kidron  ;  and  is  a  square  isolated  block  hewn 
out  from  the  rocky  ledge,  in  the  same  manner  as  that 
of  Zacharias,  leaving  a  like  area  or  niche  around  it. 
The  body  of  this  tomb  is  about  twenty-four  feet 
square ;  and  is  ornamented  on  each  side  with  two 
columns  and  two  half  columns  of  the  Ionic  order,  with 
pilasters  at  the  corners,  like  the  former  tomb.  The 
architrave  exhibits  triglyphs  and  Doric  ornaments. 
The  elevation  is  about  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  to  the 
top  of  the  architrave,  and  thus  far  it  is  wholly  cut 
from  the  rock.  But  the  adjacent  rock  is  here  not  so 

41  _ 

high  as  at  the  tomb  of  Zacharias ;  and  therefore  the 
upper  part  of  this  tomb,  has  been  carried  up  with 
mason-work  of  large  stones.  This  consists  first  of  two 
square  layers ;  of  which  the  upper  one  is  smaller  than 
the  lower ;  and  then  a  small  dome  or  cupola  runs  up 
into  a  low  spire,  which  spreads  a  little  at  the  top  like 
an  opening  flower.  This  mason-work  is  perhaps 
twenty  feet  high ;  giving  to  the  whole  an  elevation  of 
about  forty  feet.  There  is  a  small  excavated  cham¬ 
ber  in  the  body  of  the  tomb  ;  into  which  a  hole  had 
already  been  broken  through  one  of  the  sides,  several 
centuries  ago.2 

Behind  this  tomb,  at  the  N.  E.  corner  of  its  niche, 


1)  Turner,  1.  c.  p.  252.  Pro- 
kesch,  1.  c.  p.  70. 

2)  See  Prokesch,  1.  c.  p.  70. 
The  hole  is  mentioned  by  Quares- 
mius,  II.  p.  249— Chateaubriand’s 
description  of  this  monument  exhi¬ 
bits  a  specimen  of  his  usual  inac¬ 


curacy.  According  to  him  there 
are  six  columns  on  each  side,  all 
of  the  Doric  order  ;  while  the  top, 
he  says,  is  built  up  in  the  form  of 
a  triangular  pyramid  !  Itin.  II.  p. 
77.  Par.  1837. 


520 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


is  the  portal  of  the  excavated  sepulchre  of  Jehosha- 
phat.  It  is  in  the  perpendicular  face  of  the  niche ; 
and  is  of  course  a  later  work  than  the  tomb  before  it. 
The  portal  is  surmounted  by  a  fine  pediment  resting 
(I  think)  on  square  pilasters.  The  tomb  itself  is 
wholly  subterranean. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  waste  words  here,  to  show 
that  these  tombs  never  had  any  thing  to  do  with  the 
persons  whose  names  they  bear.  The  style  of  arch¬ 
itecture  and  embellishment  would  seem  to  indicate, 
that  they  are  of  a  later  period  than  most  of  the  other 
countless  sepulchres  round  about  the  city ;  which,  with 
few  exceptions,  are  destitute  of  architectural  ornament. 
Yet  the  foreign  ecclesiastics  who  crowded  to  Jerusa¬ 
lem  in  the  fourth  century,  found  these  monuments 
here ;  and  of  course,  it  became  an  object  to  refer  them 
to  persons  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures.  Yet  from 
that  day  to  this,  tradition  seems  never  to  have  become 
fully  settled,  as  to  the  individuals  whose  names  they 
should  bear.  The  It  in.  Hieros.  in  A.  D.  333,  speaks 
of  the  two  monolithic  monuments  as  the  tombs  of 
Isaiah  and  Hezekiah.1  Adamnanus,  about  A.  D.  697, 
mentions  only  one  of  these,  and  calls  it  the  tomb  of 
Jehoshaphat ;  near  to  which  were  the  two  excavated 
sepulchres  of  Simeon  the  Just  and  Joseph  the  husband 
of  Mary.2  The  historians  of  the  crusades  appear  not 
to  have  noticed  these  tombs.  The  first  mention  of 
a  tomb  of  Absalom,  is  by  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  who 
gives  to  the  other  the  name  of  king  Uzziah ;  and 
from  that  time  to  the  present  day,  the  accounts  of 
travellers  have  been  varying  and  inconsistent.3 

1)  Itin.  Hieros.  ed.  Wesseling,  Breydenbach  name  only  that  of 

p.  595.  Absalom,  etc.  See  Reissb.  des  h. 

2)  Adamnanus  I.  14.  Landes,  pp.  846,  113.  Sir  John 

3)  Benj.  de  Tud.  par  Baratier,  Maundeville  mentions  the  tomb 
p.  92.  Marinus  Sanutus  speaks  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  further  South 
only  of  the  tomb  of  Jehoshaphat ;  those  of  St.  James  and  Zacharias ; 
III.  14.  9 ;  Rud.  de  Suchem  and  p.  96.  Lond.  1839. 


Sec.  VII.] 


52  i 


TOMB  OF  ABSALOM,  ETC, 

i 

The  intermingling  of  the  Greek  orders,  and  a  spice 
of  the  massive  Egyptian  taste,  which  are  visible  in 
these  monuments,  serve  also  to  show,  that  they  belong 
to  a  late  period  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  art ;  and 
especially  to  that  style  of  mingled  Greek  and  Egyp¬ 
tian,  which  prevailed  in  the  oriental  provinces  of  the 
Roman  empire.  The  chief  seat  of  this  style  was  per¬ 
haps  at  Petra ;  where  it  still  appears  in  much  of  its 
pristine  character,  in  the  very  remarkable  excavations 
of  Wady  Musa.  When  we  visited  that  place  some 
weeks  afterwards,  we  were  much  struck  at  finding 
there  several  isolated  monuments,  the  counterparts 
of  the  monolithic  tombs  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat.1 
The  architectural  remains  of  Petra  are  not  held,  I  be¬ 
lieve,  to  be  in  general  older  than  the  Christian  era ; 
nor  is  there  any  reason  to  suppose  that  the  Jewish 
monuments  in  question,  are  of  an  earlier  date.  Indeed, 
if  they  existed  prior  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
they  are  probably  to  be  referred  to  the  times  of  the 
Herods;  who  themselves  were  of  Idumaean  descent, 
and  maintained  an  intercourse  between  Petra  and  Jeru¬ 
salem.2  In  that  age  too,  as  we  know,  other  foreigners 
of  rank  repaired  to  Jerusalem,  and  erected  for  them¬ 
selves  mansions  and  sepulchres.3  It  would  not  there¬ 
fore  be  difficult  to  account  in  this  way,  for  the  resem¬ 
blance  between  these  monuments  and  those  of  Petra. 

Or,  if  the  entire  silence  of  Josephus  and  other  co¬ 
temporary  writers  as  to  these  tombs,  be  regarded  as  an 
objection  to  this  hypothesis,  why  may  they  not  per¬ 
haps  be  referred  to  the  time  of  Adrian  ?  This  emperor 
appears  to  have  been  a  patron  of  Petra ;  he  also  built 

1)  See  our  approach  to  Wady  2)  Herod  the  Tetrarch  married 
Musa,  under  May  31st.  Also  the  daughter  of  Aretas,  king  of 
Burckhardt’s  Travels  in  Syria,  Arabia  Petraea ;  Joseph.  Ant. 
etc.  p.  422.  Of  these  monuments  XVIII-  5.  1.  Comp.  B.  J.  I.  6.  2. 
Laborde  has  given  no  account  3)  Joseph.  Ant.  XX.  4.  3.  B.  J. 
whatever.  V.  6.  1.  VI.  G.  3,  4. 

Vol.  I.  66 


522 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


up  Jerusalem;  and  both  these  cities  were  called  after 
his  name.1  It  would  therefore  not  be  unnatural,  that 
this  period  should  be  marked  in  both  places  by  monu¬ 
ments  possessing  a  similar  architectural  character. 

Sepulchres.  The  numerous  sepulchres  which  skirt 
the  vallies  on  the  North,  East,  and  South  of  Jerusalem, 
exhibit  for  the  most  part  one  general  mode  of  construc¬ 
tion.  A  door  in  the  perpendicular  face  of  the  rock, 
usually  small  and  without  ornament,  leads  to  one  or 
more  small  chambers  excavated  from  the  rock,  and 
commonly  upon  the  same  level  with  the  door.  Very 
rarely  are  the  chambers  lower  than  the  doors.  The 
walls  in  general  are  plainly  hewn ;  and  there  are 
occasionally,  though  not  always,  niches  or  resting 
places  for  the  dead  bodies.  In  order  to  obtain  a  per¬ 
pendicular  face  for  the  door,  advantage  was  sometimes 
taken  of  a  former  quarry  ;  or  an  angle  was  cut  in  the 
rock  with  a  tomb  in  each  face ;  or  a  square  niche  or 
area  was  hewn  out  in  a  ledge,  and  then  tombs  exca¬ 
vated  in  all  three  of  its  sides.  All  these  expedients 
are  seen  particularly  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Val¬ 
ley  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  near  the  Tombs  of  the  Judges. 
Many  of  the  doors  and  fronts  of  the  tombs  along  this 
valley  are  now  broken  away,  leaving  the  whole  of  the 
interior  exposed. 

Of  this  multitude  of  sepulchres,  those  on  the  South 
of  the  Valley  of  Hinnom  seem  to  be  in  general  the  best 
preserved ;  with  the  exception  of  the  tombs  of  the 
Judges  and  Kings,  which  will  be  described  separately. 
On  the  north  side  of  Hinnom,  along  Mount  Zion,  there 
are,  I  think,  no  sepulchres ;  and  the  same  is  the  case 
on  the  west  side  of  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  so  far 
as  the  ancient  city  extended  along  it.  Nor  do  they 

1)  Coins  of  Petra  are  found  roa  MtjrQo7roXiq.  Eckhel  Doctr. 
with  the  inscription:  Atyiavri  lh-  Numor.  vet.  Tom.  II.  p.  503. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOMBS  SOUTH  OF  HINNOM. 


523 


appear  anywhere  in  the  latter  valley,  helow  the  junc¬ 
tion  of  the  Valley  of  Hinnom. 

Tombs  South  of  Hinnom.  These  I  visited  in 
company  with  Messrs.  Smith,  Whiting,  and  Nicolayson, 
on  the  3d  of  May.  Two  Jews  were  with  us;  one  of 
whom,  called  Hillel,  had  been  in  the  East  Indies,  and 
had  published  a  book  full  of  extravagant  descriptions 
of  Jerusalem.  He  professed  to  have  discovered  several 
Hebrew  inscriptions  among  the  tombs,  and  undertook 
to  lead  us  to  them.  We  went  first  to  the  top  of  the 
hill,  to  the  Villa  of  Caiphas,  so  called;  and  then 
descending  northwards,  and  somewhat  to  the  West  of 
the  path  which  passes  down  from  Zion  and  crosses 
the  Valley  of  Hinnom,  we  came  among  the  tombs. 
Here,  the  side  of  the  hill,  as  it  rises  from  the  valley, 
is  for  the  most  part  perpendicular  rock  from  twenty 
to  forty  feet  high,  with  other  rocky  ledges  higher  up ; 
and  the  face  of  the  hill  is  full  of  sepulchres  along  the 
whole  extent  of  the  valley.  One  of  the  first  tombs 
w^e  came  to,  had  on  the  side  of  the  entrance  a  long 
Hebrew  inscription,  well  cut,  in  the  ordinary  modern 
character ;  but  so  defaced  by  time  that  only  a  few 
separate  words  could  be  made  out.  We  could  be 
certain  only  of  the  following : 

.  OV'S 

.  Matt) 

.  “jVon  lana  rfaaaa  .  . 

The  next  word  contained  the  letter  Sin  (©),  from 
which  our  companion  Hillel  was  greatly  inclined  to 
make  out  the  name  of  Solomon.  We  regretted  much 
that  the  date  had  become  so  hopelessly  obliterated. 
The  existence  and  state  of  this  inscription,  and  the 
form  of  the  character,  seem  to  prove  that  the  Jews 
must  have  buried  here  during  the  middle  ages.  In¬ 
deed,  Benjamin  of  Tudela  seems  to  allude  to  these 


524 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


sepulchres,  when  he  speaks  of  Jewish  cemeteries  on 
the  same  side  of  the  city  as  Mount  Zion ;  among  which, 
he  says,  there  was  one  tomb  with  its  date  inscribed.1 

Our  guide  now  took  us  to  another  tomb  near  by, 
where  he  said  there  were  inscriptions  inside  in  large 
Hebrew  characters.  But  what  he  had  taken  for  He¬ 
brew  letters,  proved  to  be  only  fortuitous  scratches  or 
marks  in  the  rock.  A  little  further  down,  we  came 
upon  a  tomb  with  a  Greek  inscription  over  the  en¬ 
trance,  to  which  a  cross  was  prefixed : 

t  THC  A  riA  C 
C  I  LU  N 

Not  far  off  was  another  with  the  same  letters  and  cross, 
but  much  defaced.  Close  by  the  former  was  also  a  tomb 
with  a  Greek  inscription  of  some  length,  now  illegible ; 
and  in  this  quarter  were  two  or  three  others,  apparently 
in  the  same  language,  but  too  much  obliterated  to  be 
made  out.2  The  inscription  in  Phenician  characters 
mentioned  by  Dr.  Clarke,  we  did  not  see.3 

Following  down  the  side  of  the  valley,  and  passing 
sepulchres  and  caverns  without  number,  we  came  to 
the  place  shown  as  the  Aceldama  or  Field  of  Blood.4 
The  tradition  which  fixes  it  upon  this  spot,  reaches 
back  to  the  age  of  Jerome  ;  and  it  is  mentioned  by 
almost  every  visitor  of  the  Holy  City  from  that  time 
to  the  present  day.5  The  field  or  plat  is  not  now 
marked  by  any  boundary  to  distinguish  it  from  the 


1) Benj.  de  Tud.  parBarat.  p.  93. 
I  presume  the  inscription  in  the 
text  is  the  same  which  Scholz  pro¬ 
fesses  to  have  copied ;  Reise,  p. 
179.  He  appears  to  have  made 
out  much  more  of  it  than  we  could. 

2)  These  are  apparently  the 
same  of  which  Scholz  has  pro¬ 
fessedly  given  copies ;  Reise,  pp. 
179,  180. 

3)  Clarke’s  Travels  in  the  Holy 

Land,  4to.  p.  555. 


4)  Matth.  xxvii.  7,  8.  Acts  i.  19. 

5)  Onomast.  art.  Acheldamach. 
Eusebius  places  it  on  the  North  of 
the  city;  Jerome  on  the  South. 
Whether  this  discrepancy  arises 
from  a  change  in  the  tradition,  or 
an  error  in  transcription,  cannot 
now  be  determined. — See  also  An¬ 
tonin.  Mart.  26.  Adamnanus  I. 
20.  Edrisi  ed.  Jaub.  p.  345.  Will. 
Tyr.  VIII.  2.  Brocardus,  c.  8. 
Rud.  de  Suchem,  pp.  847,  848. 


Sec.  VIL]  TOMBS  SOUTH  OF  HINNOM.  ACELDAMA. 


525 


rest  of  the  hill-side;  and  the  former  charnel-house, 
now  a  ruin,  is  all  that  remains  to  point  out  the  site. 
It  is  a  long  massive  building  of  stone,  erected  in  front 
apparently  of  a  natural  cave ;  with  a  roof  arched  the 
whole  length,  and  the  walls  sunk  deep  below  the 
ground  outside,  forming  a  deep  pit  or  cellar  within. 
An  opening  at  each  end  enabled  us  to  look  in ;  but 
the  bottom  was  empty  and  dry,  except  a  few  bones 
much  decayed. 

This  plat  of  ground,  originally  bought  “  to  bury 
strangers  in,”  seems  to  have  been  early  set  apart  by 
the  Latins  and  even  by  the  crusaders  themselves, 
as  a  place  for  the  burial  of  pilgrims.1  Sir  J.  Maun- 
deville  in  the  fourteenth  century  says,  that  u  in  that 
F eld  ben  manye  Tombes  of  Cristene  Men ;  for  there  ben 
man  ye  Pilgrymes  graven.”  He  is  also  the  first  to 
mention  the  charnel-house,  which  then  belonged  to 
the  Hospital  of  St.  John.2  In  the  beginning  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  Qjiaresmius  describes  it  as 
belonging  to  the  Armenians  ;  who  sold  the  right  of 
interment  here  at  a  high  price.3  In  MaundrelFs  day 
dead  bodies  were  still  deposited  in  it ;  and  Korte  re¬ 
lates,  that  in  his  time  it  was  the  usual  burial-place  of 
pilgrims.4  Dr.  Clarke  repeats  the  same  story  in  the 
beginning  of  this  century ;  but  at  present  it  has 
the  appearance  of  having  been  for  a  much  longer 
time  abandoned.5  The  soil  of  this  spot  was  long  be¬ 
lieved  to  have  the  power  of  consuming  dead  bodies  in 
the  space  of  twenty-four  hours.  On  this  account  ship¬ 
loads  of  it  are  said  to  have  been  carried  away  in  A. 

1)  Jac.  de  Vitr.  Hist.  Hieros.  64.  5)  Travels  in  the  Holy  Land, 

2)  Travels,  pp.  93,  94.  Lond.  4to.  p.  567.  That  corpses  were 
1839.  Rud.  de  Such.  pp.  846,  847.  still  thrown  into  this  place  so  late 

31  Elucid.  II.  p.  285.  as  1818,  as  related  by  Richardson, 

4)  Maundrell’s  Journey,  Apr.  is  barely  possible ;  Travels,  etc.  II. 
6th.  Kortens  Reise,  p.  110.  See  p.355. 

too  Pococke  II.  p.  25.  fol. 


526 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


D.  1218,  in  order  to  cover  over  the  famous  Campo 
Santo  in  Pisa.1  Ten  years  before  our  visit,  I  had 
listened  to  the  same  story  within  the  walls  of  that 
remarkable  cemetery. 

Not  far  from  this  place,  lower  down  the  hill,  we 
came  to  a  tomb  which  had  once  been  painted  in  the 
interior.  Traces  of  the  painting  still  remain  upon 
the  ceiling  and  walls ;  but  they  consist  chiefly  of 
glories  around  the  heads  of  Greek  saints,  without 
value  either  in  a  historical  or  archaeological  respect. 
I  suppose  this  to  be  the  tomb  usually  shown  by  the 
monks,  as  the  place  where  the  apostles  hid  themselves 
after  the  arrest  of  Jesus.2  Still  more  to  the  East,  and 
not  far  from  the  corner  of  the  hill  near  the  Valley  of 
Jehoshaphat,  we  entered  a  sepulchre  which  was  said 
to  have  been  recently  opened.  The  entrance  was  low 
under  the  surface  of  the  ground, — an  upright  door  with 
a  descent  to  it  by  steps.  It  led  into  an  ante-room 
excavated  in  the  rock,  having  an  arched  ceiling  or 
dome,  with  doors  in  the  three  sides,  opening  into  five 
or  six  side-chambers.  In  these  are  seen  low  sarcophagi, 
or  rather  hollow  couches,  left  in  the  same  rock  along 
the  sides ;  in  which  were  still  many  bones  and  skulls, 
the  relics  of  their  former  tenants. 

In  general,  it  may  be  said  of  these  sepulchres,  as 
well  as  of  most  of  those  around  Jerusalem,  that  they 
exhibit  little  which  is  remarkable,  except  their  num¬ 
ber.  In  none  of  them,  save  in  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings, 
have  regular  sarcophagi  ever  been  found,  either  plain 
or  sculptured.  The  manner  in  which  the  work  is  ex¬ 
ecuted,  exhibits  for  the  most  part  anything  but  skill ; 
and  with  the  exception  of  the  monuments  in  the  Val¬ 
ley  of  Jehoshaphat  and  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  there 
is  nothing  which  can  be  compared,  either  with  the 

1)  Raumer’s  Palast.  Edit.  2.  2)  duaresmius  Tom.  II.  p.  2S3. 

p.  300.  Pococke’s  Descr.  of  the  Maundrell,  Apr.  6th. 

East.  II.  p.  25,  fol. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOMBS  OF  THE  JUDGES. 


527 


architectural  decorations  of  the  sepulchres  at  Petra, 
or  with  the  interior  magnificence  of  the  ancient  Egyp¬ 
tian  tombs.1 

Tombs  of  the  Judges.  Passing  now  from  the  Val¬ 
ley  of  Hinnom  to  the  very  head  of  vthe  Valley  of  Jeho- 
shaphat,  we  find  there  the  Tombs  of  the  Judges,  half 
an  hour  distant  from  the  Damascus  Gate.  In  ap¬ 
proaching  them  along  the  valley,  the  rocks  on  each 
side  are  full  of  ordinary  sepulchres ;  and  it  is  not  until 
one  has  crossed  the  water-shed,  and  begins  slightly 
to  descend  towards  the  Wady  Beit  Hanina,  that 
he  reaches  these  tombs.2  They  are  situated  just 
on  the  East  of  the  path ;  and  are  entered  by  a  not 
large  portico  under  a  fine  pediment,  sculptured  with 
flowers  and  leaves.  From  the  middle  of  the  portico, 
a  door  larger  than  in  most  sepulchres  leads  into  an 
ante-chamber  eighteen  or  twenty  feet  square.  In  the 
north  side  of  this  room  are  two  rows  of  deep  narrow 
niches  or  crypts  for  dead  bodies,  one  above  the  other ; 
the  crypts  running  in  perpendicular  to  the  wall,  and 
being  just  large  enough  to  receive  a.  corpse ;  the  side 
of  the  room,  as  Sandys  says,  being  u  cut  full  of  holes 
in  manner  of  a  dove-house.”  On  the  east  and  south 
sides  of  the  ante-chamber,  small  doors  lead  to  two 
other  apartments,  each  about  twelve  feet  square,  in 
both  of  which  three  of  the  sides  have  similar  crypts 
belo  w  and  a  larger  niche  above,  as  if  for  a  sarcopha¬ 
gus.  At  the  N.  E.  and  S.  W.  corners  of  the  ante-room, 
a  few  steps  lead  down  through  the  floor  to  a  lower 
apartment  in  each  corner,  of  like  form  and  dimen¬ 
sions.  It  is  not  improbable,  that  similar  apartments 
may  exist  under  the  other  two  corners  of  the  ante-room, 
the  entrances  to  which  are  now  covered  with  stones 

1)  See  Note  XXVI,  at  the  end  2)  See  above,  pp.  355,  397. 
of  the  volume. 


528 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


and  rubbish.1  In  the  chambers  now  open  we  counted 
about  sixty  of  these  deep  narrow  niches  or  crypts. 
We  took  here  no  measurements,  and  made  no  minute 
examination. 

I  have  been  able  to  find  no  notice  of  these  tombs 
earlier  than  the  time  of  Cotovicus,  A.  D.  1598,  who 
gives  them  no  name.  Sandys  in  A.  D.  1611,  calls 
them  the  “  Sepulchre  of  the  Prophets.”2  Quaresmius 
first  describes  them  under  the  present  name  ;  and  they 
have  not  often  been  mentioned  by  later  travellers.3 
That  writer  refers  them  to  the  Hebrew  Judges  of  the 
Old  Testament.  But  the  name,  however  it  arose, 
more  probably  had  reference  to  the  judges  of  the 
Jewish  Sanhedrim  ;  and  was  applied  in  consequence  of 
a  fancied  correspondence  between  the  number  of  the 
narrow  crypts,  and  the  seventy  members  who  com¬ 
posed  that  tribunal. 

Tomb  of  Helena ,  commonly  called  Tombs  of  the 
Kings .  About  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  rods 
North  of  the  Damascus  Gate,  on  the  right  of  the  Na- 
bulus  road,  just  as  it  begins  to  decend  towards  the 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  is  situated  the  remarkable  sep¬ 
ulchre  usually  called  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings.4  The 
construction  is  as  follows.  A  large  square  pit  or  court 
is  sunk  in  the  solid  rock,  which  here  forms  the  level 
surface  of  the  ground.  The  direction  of  the  sides,  as 
taken  from  the  South,  is  N.  by  W.  measuring  92 1 
feet ;  while  the  other  two  sides  measure  eighty-seven 
feet.  The  depth  of  the  court  is  now  eighteen  feet ; 
but  the  bottom  is  obviously  much  filled  up.  In  order 

1)  Both  Cotovicus  and  Doub-  2)  Cotovici  Itin.  p.  317.  San- 
dan  seem  to  say,  that  there  is  a  dys’  Travels,  Lond.  1658,  p.  136. 
chambef  still  lower  down,  a  third  3)  Quaresmius  Elucid.  Terr, 
story,  which  is  entered  in  like  man-  Sanct.  II.  p.  728.  Monconys  I.  p. 
ner  by  steps  from  the  second.  Co-  319.  Doubdan,  p.  115.  Pococke 
tovici  Itin.  p.  317.  Doubdan  Voy-  Descr.  of  the  East,  II.  p.  48.  fol. 
age,  etc.  p.  116.  4)  See  above,  p.  354. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOMB  OF  HELENA. 


529 


to  form  an  entrance  to  this  court,  a  broad  trench  of  the 
same  depth,  thirty-two  feet  in  width,  was  cut  parallel 
to  the  southern  side,  leaving  between  it  and  the  court 
a  solid  wall  of  rock  seven  feet  thick.  The  western 
end  of  this  trench  slopes  down  very  gradually  to  the 
bottom,  forming  a  commodious  descent,  while  towards 
the  eastern  end,  an  arched  passage  is  cut  through  the 
intervening  wall,  from  the  trench  into  the  court.  The 
sides  of  the  court  are  perpendicular,  and  hewn  smooth. 

In  the  western  wall  of  this  sunken  court,  a  portico 
or  hall  has  been  excavated  from  the  solid  rock,  mea¬ 
suring  in  the  interior  thirty-nine  feet  long,  by  seven¬ 
teen  wide  and  fifteen  high.  The  open  front  or  portal 
was  originally  twenty-seven  feet  in  length  ;  but  is  now 
broken  away  in  parts  for  a  greater  distance.  The 
sides  of  this  portal  were  once  ornamented  with  columns 
or  pilasters ;  and  there  were  also  two  intermediate 
columns  now  broken  down,  dividing  the  whole  portal 
into  three  nearly  equal  parts.  The  rock  above  is 
elegantly  sculptured  in  the  later  Roman  style.  Over 
the  centre  of  the  portal  are  carved  large  clusters  of 
grapes  between  garlands  of  flowers,  intermingled  with 
Corinthian  capitals  and  other  decorations ;  below 
which  is  tracery-work  of  flowers  and  fruits  extending 
quite  across  the  portal  and  hanging  down  along  the 
sides.  This  is  the  finest  specimen  of  sculpture  existing 
in  or  around  Jerusalem. 

At  the  south  end  of  the  interior  portico  or  hall, 
near  the  inner  corner,  is  the  low  entrance  to  the  ex¬ 
cavated  chambers.  If  I  recollect  aright,  the  top  of 
this  entrance  is  little  if  any  above  the  level  of  the 
floor ;  a  passage  being  sunk  in  the  latter  by  which  to 
descend  and  reach  it ;  so  that  if  this  passage  were 
filled  up  to  its  former  level,  all  traces  of  an  entrance 
might  he  easily  concealed.  At  present  this  passage 
and  the  door  are  greatly  obstructed  by  loose  stones 
Vol.  I.  67 


530 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  YIL 


casually  thrown  in,  which  no  one  takes  the  trouble  to 
clear  away  ;  so  that  the  entrance  is  difficult,  affording 
only  room  to  pass  in  upon  the  hands  and  knees. 

The  first  room  is  merely  an  ante-chamber,  18| 
feet  by  19,  containing  nothing.  The  walls  here,  as 
in  all  the  other  rooms,  consist  of  the  solid  rock,  hewn 
smooth  but  not  polished.  The  ceiling  slopes  upwards  a 
little  from  the  two  sides,  forming  a  sort  of  roof.  On  the 
south  side  of  this  room  are  two  low  entrances  to  other 
apartments  ;  and  on  the  west  side,  one.  These  en¬ 
trances  were  once  closed  by  stone  doors  with  carved 
panels,  shutting  from  within ;  the  doors  have  been 
thrown  down  and  broken,  and  the  fragments  still  lie 
around.  They  were  suspended  by  tenons  above  and 
below,  fitted  to  corresponding  sockets  in  the  rock ; 
the  lower  tenon  being  of  course  short.  One  of  these 
doors  was  still  hanging  in  Maundreirs  day,  and  “  did 
not  touch  its  lintel  by  at  least  two  inches.”1 

The  first  room  on  the  left  or  S.  E.  from  the  ante¬ 
chamber,  measures  11  feet  2  inches  by  12  feet.  On 
the  eastern  and  southern  sides  are  small  low  niches 
or  crypts,  three  on  a  side,  running  in  perpendicular  to 
the  wall,  with  narrow  entrances,  intended  as  a  place 
of  deposit  for  dead  bodies,  and  exhibiting  nothing 
worthy  of  particular  remark.  Along  the  sides  of  the 
room  there  is  a  small  channel  cut  in  the  floor,  to  carry 
off  the  drippings  from  the  damp  walls  ;  and  a  similar 
arrangement  is  found  in  the  other  chambers. 

The  second  room  on  the  south  of  the  antecham¬ 
ber  and  adjacent  to  the  one  just  described,  is  13  feet 
by  131 ;  and  has  also  six  small  crypts  or  chambers  in 

its  southern  and  western  sides,  three  in  each.  But 

• 

1)  Maundrell’s  Journey,  March  nor  ;  Travels,  etc.  4to.  Part  II.  Vol. 
28th.  Similar  doors  are  described  I.p.  252.  So  also  in  the  sepulchres 
by  Dr.  Clarke  in  the  remarkable  ex-  near  Beisan  ;  Irby  and  Mangles, 
cavated  sepulchres  at  Tclmessus  p.  302. 
on  the  southern  coast  of  Asia  Mi- 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOMB  OF  HELENA 


531 


South 


532 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


they  differ  somewhat  from  those  of  the  former  apart¬ 
ment  ;  the  middle  crypt  on  each  of  the  two  sides  hav¬ 
ing  a  higher  entrance,  being  itself  larger,  and  having 
also  beyond  it  another  smaller  recess  or  tomb.  More¬ 
over,  from  one  of  these  or  a  like  recess  a  few  steps 
lead  down  to  still  another  and  lower  tomb,  or  low 
square  vault,  with  a  large  niche  on  three  sides,  in 
which  once  stood  sarcophagi  of  white  marble,  elegantly 
sculptured  with  flowers  and  wreaths.  These  are  now 
broken ;  and  the  fragments  strewed  around  upon  the 
floors. 


The  third  room,  on  the  West  of  the  antechamber, 
was  apparently  the  most  important  of  all.  It  is  13J 
feet  square ;  and  has  three  crypts  on  each  of  its  three 
sides  towards  the  South,  West  and  North.  These 
are  similar  to  those  of  the  second  room ;  except  that 
they  are  somewhat  larger.  The  middle  one  indeed 
on  each  side  is  quite  large,  with  each  an  interior  re¬ 
cess  or  tomb  as  before.  From  one  of  these  again, 
(that  on  the  north  side,)  steps  lead  down  to  another 
low  vault,  like  the  former,  with  similar  marble  sarco¬ 
phagi.1 

The  four  chambers  thus  described  as  connected 
with  the  present  entrance,  are  all  situated  at  the  south 
end  of  the  portico.;  and  only  the  lower  vault  belonging 
to  the  westernmost  extends  northwards  for  a  dis¬ 
tance  behind  it.  Thus  all  the  rock  around  the  north- 


1)  By  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Cath- 
erwood,  I  am  enabled  to  lay  before 
the  reader  the  accompanying  plan 
of  these  Tombs,  drawn  out  from  his 
own  measurements  in  1833.  The 
lower  vault  connected  with  the 
S.  W.  chamber  is  not  laid  do  wn ; 
the  steps  leading  to  it  are  marked 
on  the  north  side  of  the  room.  The 
other  lower  vault  on  the  N.  of  the 
westernmost  chamber,  strikes  me 
as  being  perhaps  too  large ;  but  we 
did  not  measure  it.  Only  a  part 
of  the  sunken  court  is  given ;  and 


no  attempt  is  made  to  represent 
the  parallel  trench  on  the  South. 
Of  former  plans  of  these  Tombs, 
Niebuhr’s  seems  to  me  to  be  the 
best ;  Reisebeschr.  Bd.  III.  But 
a  lower  vault  ( h )  which  he  lays 
down  on  the  northern  side  of  the 
anteroom,  we  did  not  see.  Po- 
cocke’s  Plan  is  less  accurate,  (Vol. 
II.  p.  21,)  and  was  obviously  drawn 
from  recollection.  The  sketch  of 
Irby  and  Mangles  (p.  332)  is  co¬ 
pied  from  Pococke. 


Sec.  VIL] 


TOMB  OF  HELENA. 


533 


ern  part  of  the  portico  remains  apparently  unexcava¬ 
ted.  The  question  naturally  arose  in  our  minds, 
whether  a  work  of  such  magnificence,  and  of  such 
labour  and  expense,  would  probably  have  been  left 
thus  incomplete ;  and  it  occurred  to  us,  whether  another 
like  entrance  to  similar  chambers  might  not  exist  at 
the  other  end  of  the  portico,  or  in  the  middle,  where 
the  area  has  been  filled  up  with  stones  and  rubbish 
apparently  for  ages.  We  accordingly  set  men  to  work 
under  the  direction  of  our  active  servant  Komeh,  to 
clear  away  the  accumulated  rubbish  from  the  north¬ 
ern  end ;  and  frequently  visited  the  spot  ourselves. 
They  laboured  for  several  days,  and  laid  bare  the  floor 
of  rock  at  the  bottom ;  but  without  finding  the  slight¬ 
est  trace  of  any  entrance.  Yet  I  would  not  aver  that 
such  an  entrance  may  not  after  all  actually  exist; 
having  been  perhaps  purposely  concealed  in  the  man¬ 
ner  above  suggested.1 

This  splendid  sepulchre,  with  its  sunken  court, 
reminded  me  of  some  of  the  tombs  of  the  Egyptian 
Thebes ;  which  also  it  resembles  in  its  workmanship, 
but  not  in  the  extent  of  its  excavations.  In  its  elegant 
portal  and  delicate  sculpture,  it  may  well  bear  com¬ 
parison  with  the  sepulchres  of  Petra  ;  though  the 


1)  It  was  not  until  after  these 
pages  were  written,  that  I  was 
able  to  get  access  at  Berlin  to  the 
Travels  of  Irby  and  Mangles.  It 
is  there  related,  (p.  332,  seq.)  that 
the  same  idea  of  a  corresponding 
entrance  at  the  northern  end  had 
also  occurred  to  Mr.  Bankes  ;  and 
that  so  thoroughly  was  he  convin¬ 
ced  of  it,  that  when  at  Constanti¬ 
nople  he  used  every  exertion  to 
procure  a  firman  authorizing  him 
to  excavate  and  ascertain  the  fact ; 
but  in  vain.  In  the  spring  of  1818, 
these  travellers  with  others  being 
at  Jerusalem,  endeavoured  to  ob¬ 
tain  permission  from  the  Governor 
to  dig  on  the  same  spot,  but  also 
without  success.  They  therefore 


undertook  the  excavation  them¬ 
selves  secretly  by  night,  viz. 
Messrs.  Bankes,  Legh,  Irby,  Man¬ 
gles,  and  Corry,  with  five  servants. 
They  came  in  the  morning  to  a 
large  block  of  stone  on  the  spot 
where  they  expected  to  find  an  en¬ 
trance.  They  succeeded  during 
the  day  in  breaking  the  stone,  but 
their  proceedings  were  discovered 
and  prohibited  by  the  authorities. 
Times  have  now  changed.  We 
asked  no  leave  ;  and  although  we 
wrought  openly  for  several  days, 
we  experienced  no  hindrance  from 
any  man. — See  also  the  Life  and 
Adventures  of  G.  Finati,  edited  by 
Mr.  Bankes,  II.  pp.  219 — 234. 


534 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VII. 


species  of  stone  in  which  it  is  cut,  does  not  admit  of 
the  same  architectural  effect.  It  has  usually,  I  believe, 
been  considered  as  unique  in  Palestine;  yet  it  is  not 
the  only  monument  of  its  kind  in  the  vicinity  of  Jeru¬ 
salem.  It  is  indeed  by  far  the  best  preserved;  which 
has  been  owing,  doubtless,  to  the  difficulty  of  entrance, 
and  to  the  utter  darkness  that  reigns  within.  One 
day  as  I  was  returning  from  this  spot  to  the  city  with 
my  friend  Mr.  Homes,  w7e  kept  along  the  brow  of  the 
Valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  in  order  to  search  for  traces  of 
Agrippa’s  wall.  Of  the  wall  we  found  nothing ;  but 
at  some  distance  S.  E.  from  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings, 
and  near  the  brow  of  the  valley,  wre  came  upon  another 
sepulchre  constructed  on  the  same  plan  with  the  for¬ 
mer, — a  square  sunken  court,  with  a  portico  and  en¬ 
trance  upon  its  western  side.  But  here  the  rock  had 
been  less  judiciously  chosen,  and  in  some  parts  the 
sides  of  the  court  had  been  built  up  with  masonry. 
The  portal  too  w7as  less  ornamented  and  more  broken 
away.  The  low7  entrance  w7as  here  in  the  middle  of 
the  portico  ;  and  led  into  chambers  of  considerable 
size,  but  of  less  skilful  workmanship.  Indeed  the 
whole  appearance  was  less  imposing;  partly  perhaps 
on  account  of  the  greater  decay.  Several  other  sep¬ 
ulchres  of  a  similar  character  are  to  be  traced  in  this 
quarter ;  but  they  are  still  more  broken  down  and 
indistinct. 

The  sepulchre  above  described,  has  long  borne 
among  the  Franks  the  name  of  the  Tombs  of  the 
Kings ;  probably  on  account  of  its  remarkable  cha¬ 
racter,  wdiich  naturally  led  to  the  idea  of  a  regal 
founder.  It  has  been  commonly  referred  to  the  an¬ 
cient  Jewish  kings  ;  on  the  supposition,  that  some  of 
them  may  have  been  here  entombed.  The  sepulchres 
of  David  and  his  descendants,  as  we  know,  w^ere  upon 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOMB  OF  HELENA. 


535 


Zion  ;l  they  were  called  apparently  the  Sepulchres  of 
the  Sons  of  David,  and  also  of  the  Kings  of  Israel;2  and 
were  still  extant  in  the  times  of  the  Apostles.3  Four 
of  the  Jewish  kings,  indeed,  are  said  not  to  have  been 
brought  into  those  sepulchres ;  but  there  is  no  evidence 
to  show  that  they  were  buried  out  of  the  city,  and 
least  of  all  in  this  quarter.4  Josephus  too  mentions 
the  tomb  of  Helena  queen  of  Adiabene,  (who  embrac¬ 
ed  the  Jewish  religion  and  lived  for  a  time  at  Jerusa¬ 
lem,)  on  the  North  of  the  city ;  and  speaks  also  of 
royal  grottos  or  sepulchres  in  the  same  quarter,  near 
which  ran  the  third  or  Agrippa’s  wall.5  In  another 
place  the  same  writer  speaks  of  monuments  or  tombs 
of  Herod,  situated  apparently  near  this  wall  in  the 
same  quarter.6  This  circumstance  suggests  the  in¬ 
quiry,  Whether  these  royal  sepulchres  of  Josephus  and 
these  tombs  of  Herod  may  not  be  identical ;  and  refer 
perhaps  to  sepulchres  constructed  by  the  Idumean 
princes  for  members  of  their  own  family  7  A  further 
inquiry  also  arises :  Whether  perhaps  these  tombs 
writh  sunken  courts,  so  different  from  all  the  rest 
around  Jerusalem,  and  situated  not  like  the  others  in 
the  rocky  sides  of  the  vallies,  but  on  the  level  ground 
above,  may  not  have  been  a  style  appropriated  to  roy¬ 
alty  ?  In  that  case,  the  dilapidated  sepulchres  of  that 
kind  which  we  found  along  the  brow  of  the  valley, 


1) 1  Kings  ii.  10.  xi.  43.  etc. 

2)  2  Chron.  xxxii.  33.  xxviii. 
27. 

3)  Acts  ii.  29. 

4) Uzziah  was  buried  with  his 
fathers ,  but  not  within  their  sepul¬ 
chres,  he  being  a  leper ;  2  Chron. 
xxvi.  23.  Ahaz  was  buried  within 
the  city,  but  not  in  the  same  sep¬ 
ulchres  ;  2  Chron.  xxviii.  27.  Ma- 
nasseh  and  Amon  were  buried  in 
the  garden  of  their  own  house,  in 
the  garden  of  Uzza,  probably  on 
Zion ;  2  Kings  xxi.  18,  26. 

5)  Joseph.  B.  J.  V.  4.  2. 


6)  Ibid.  V.  3.  2.  Titus  caused 
the  whole  interval  to  be  levelled 
from  Scopus  to  the  walls,  or  as  it 
is  also  said,  to  the  monuments 
(sepulchres)  of  Herod,  fif/Qc  rwv 
‘ Hoo'idov  (,ivrj/uftu)v.  These  would 
seem  therefore  to  have  been  in  the 
plain  and  near  the  N.  E.  part  of 
the  city ;  not  certainly  upon  the 
high  land  further  West.  But  in 
another  place,  (B.  J.  V.  12.  2,)  a 
single  monument  (to  /u.vij/tieZov')  of 
Herod  is  mentioned,  which  lay  S. 
of  the  Roman  camp  ;  and  of  course 
on  the  west  side  of  the  city. 


536 


JERUSALEM.— ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VIL 


near  where  the  ancient  wall  must  have  passed,  would 
answer  well  to  the  royal  grottos  or  sepulchres  of  Jose¬ 
phus  ;  and  the  present  Tombs  of  the  Kings  above  de¬ 
scribed,  would  then  correspond  to  the  monument  of 
-  Helena. 

The  latter  part  at  least  of  this  hypothesis,  is  pro¬ 
bably  well  founded.  Josephus  thrice  mentions  the 
sepulchre  prepared  for  herself  by  Helena  during  her 
residence  at  Jerusalem ;  once  as  constructed  with 
three  pyramids  at  the  distance  of  three  stadia  from  the 
city ;  again  on  the  approach  of  Titus  to  the  city  from 
the  North  in  order  to  reconnoitre,  where  it  is  said  to 
be  overagainst  the  gate  on  that  side ;  and  lastly,  where 
he  describes  the  third  northern  wall  as  passing  over¬ 
against  it.1  Eusebius  also  relates  that  Helena  con¬ 
structed  a  tomb,  of  which  the  “  celebrated  stelae ”  or 
cippi  were  still  pointed  out  in  his  day  in  the  suburbs 
of  Jerusalem.2  More  definite  is  the  passing  notice  of 
Jerome,  who  relates  that  as  Paula  approached  the 
city  from  the  North,  the  mausoleum  of  Helena  lay 
upon  the  left  or  East.3  Now  the  great  northern  road 
at  present  is  unquestionably  the  same  that  it  ever  was ; 
the  very  nature  of  the  ground  not  admitting  the  sup¬ 
position  of  any  material  variation.  Thus  then,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  ancient  accounts,  the  tomb  of  Helena 
lay  on  the  East  of  this  road,  three  stadia  distant  from 
the  ancient  northern  wall ;  and  we  have  seen  above 
that  the  present  sepulchre  lies  on  the  same  side  of  the 
way,  at  the  distance  of  a  little  more  than  half  an  Eng¬ 
lish  mile  or  four  stadia  from  the  modern  Damascus 
Gate.  But  the  ancient  northern  wall,  as  we  know, 
ran  a  stadium  or  more  further  North  than  the  present 

1)  Joseph.  Antiq.  XX.  4.  3.  B.  3)  Hieron.  ad  Eustoch.  Epitaph. 

J.  V.  2.  2.  V.  4.  2.  Paulae  :  “  Ad  laevam  mausoleo 

2)  Hist.  Eccles.  Lib.  II.  c.  12,  Helenae  derelicto, — ingressa  est 
otijXcu  diacpavelc;.  See  also  the  Jerusolymam  urbem.”  Opp.  Tom. 
note  of  Valesius  on  this  passage.  IV.  ii.  p.  673.  ed.  Martianay. 


Sec.  VII.] 


TOMB  OF  HELENA. 


537 


one  ;  and  we  have  therefore  here  a  very  exact  coinci¬ 
dence.  This  fact,  taken  in  connection  with  the  cir¬ 
cumstance  that  the  tomb  of  Helena  was  celebrated  of 
old,  just  as  the  sepulchre  in  question  is  to  this  day  the 
most  remarkable  object  of  antiquity  round  about  Jeru¬ 
salem,  seems  amply  sufficient  to  establish  their  identity. 

The  same  conclusion  is  further  strengthened  by 
an  historical  notice  from  another  quarter,  where  we 
should  hardly  look  for  any  illustration  of  Jewish  an¬ 
tiquities.  The  Greek  writer  Pausanias  in  the  second 
century,  in  speaking  of  the  sepulchres  that  he  had 
seen,  mentions  two  as  being  worthy  of  particular  ad¬ 
miration,  viz.  that  of  king  Mausolus  in  Caria,  and  that 
of  Helena  at  Jerusalem.1  This  latter  he  describes  as 
remarkable  for  its  door,  which  was  of  the  same  rock, 
and  was  so  contrived  that  it  could  only  be  opened 
when  the  returning  year  brought  round  a  particular 
day  and  hour ;  it  then  opened  by  means  of  mechanism 
alone,  and  after  a  short  time,  closed  again ;  had  one 
tried  to  open  it  at  another  time,  he  must  first  have 
broken  it  with  violence.  In  this  exaggerated  account, 
we  may  nevertheless  recognise  the  carved  doors  above 
described  in  these  excavated  tombs,  and  found  here 
in  this  sepulchre  alone  ;  while  the  passage  also 
shows  the  celebrity  which  the  tomb  of  Helena  had 
obtained  in  foreign  lands.  Taking  all  the  circum¬ 
stances  together,  there  seems  therefore  little  room  for 
doubt,  that  the  excavations  so  long  known  in  modern 
times  as  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  ought  henceforth  to 
reassume  their  ancient  celebrity  as  the  Sepulchre  of 
Helena. 

The  three  pyramids  or  stelae  by  which  the  tomb 
wTas  anciently  surmounted,  were  probably  erected  over 
the  portal  on  the  level  ground  above ;  and  could  hardly 

1)  Pausan.  Graeciae  Descript.  XXVII,  at  the  end  of  the  present 
Lib.  VIII.  c.  16  fin.  See  Note  volume. 

Vol.  I.  68 


538 


JERUSALEM. — ANTIQUITIES. 


[Sec.  VIL 


be  expected  to  have  survived  the  ravages  of  time  and  of 
barbarous  hands.  The  earlier  pilgrims,  before  the  pe¬ 
riod  of  the  crusades,  make  no  mention  of  this  tomb ; 
probably  because  it  still  bore  the  name  of  Helena  and 
was  not  to  them  a  consecrated  object.  The  same  was 
perhaps  the  case  with  the  writers  of  the  age  of  the 
crusades,  who  have  all  passed  it  over  in  silence.  Only 
Marinus  Sanutus,  A.  D.  1321,  slightly  mentions  the 
Sepulchre  of  Helena  on  the  North  of  the  city;  so 
slightly  indeed  that  it  is  difficult  to  say,  whether  the 
same  tomb  is  meant;  though  from  its  remarkable 
character  this  is  most  probable.1  After  this  writer, 
there  seems  to  be  no  allusion  whatever  to  this  sepul¬ 
chre  until  near  the  close  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
when  it  is  again  brought  into  notice  as  the  Tombs  of 
the  Kings,  in  the  tolerably  full  descriptions  of  Zual- 
lardo,  Villamont,  and  Cotovicus.2  From  that  time  on¬ 
ward  the  place  has  been  described  by  almost  every 
traveller  down  to  the  present  day.  Pococke  was  the 
first  to  suggest,  that  it  might  be  the  Tomb  of  Helena ; 
but  without  reference  to  the  exact  specification  of 
Josephus  and  Jerome,  and  only  as  a  matter  of  con¬ 
jecture.3  This  was  strengthened  by  Chateaubriand 
and  Dr.  Clarke  by  a  reference  to  the  passage  of  Pau- 
sanias  above  cited  ;  although  the  former  adopts  in  the 
end  a  different  conclusion.4 


1)  Secreta  fidel.  Crucis  III.  14. 
9,  “  contra  orientem  descendit  tor- 
rens  Cedron,  collectis  simul  omni¬ 
bus  aquis  quas  secum  trahit  de  par- 
tibus  superioribus  :  scilicet  Rama, 
Anathoth,  sepulcro  Reginae  Ja- 
benorum,”  etc.  Further  on,  the 
writer  again  refers  to  this  tomb  in 
connection  with  that  of  the  Virgin 
in  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat :  “  De 
Sepulcro  vero  Helenae  Reginae, 
dictum  est  supra,”  etc. 

2)  Zuallardo,  A.  D.  1586 ;  Vi- 

aggio,  p.  264.  Villamont  in  A.  D. 

1589 ;  Voyages,  Liv.  II.  e.  31.  Coto¬ 
vicus  in  A.  D.  1598 ;  Itin.  p.  304. 


3)  Pococke  Descr.  of  the  East, 
II.  p.  20,  fol. — Doubdan  speaks  also 
of  a  Tomb  of  Helena,  but  distinct 
from  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings  and 
on  the  other  side  of  the  road  ; 
Voyage,  p.  258.  See  also  Van 
Egmond  and  Heyman,  Reizen  I. 
p.  347.  Quaresmius  knew  nothing 
of  any  Tomb  of  Helena  in  his  day  ; 
II.  p.  734. 

4)  Chateaubriand  Itin.  II.  p.  79, 
seq.  Paris  1837.  Clarke’s  Trav¬ 
els,  etc.  4to.  Part  II.  Vol.  I.  p.  599. 
— See  Note  XXVIII,  at  the  end  of 
the  Volume. 


Sec.  YD.] 


TOMBS  OF  THE  PROPHETS. 


539 


Tombs  of  the  Prophets .  The  excavations  com¬ 
monly  known  under  this  name,  are  situated  on  the 
western  declivity  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  a  little  south 
of  the  foot-path  leading  over  from  St.  Stephen’s  Gate 
to  Bethany.  Pococke  describes  them  as  “very  large, 
having  many  cells  to  deposit  bodies  in ;  the  further 
end  of  them  they  call  the  Labyrinth,  which  extends  a 
great  way ;  I  could  not  find  the  end  of  it ;  this  part 
seems  to  have  been  a  quarry.”1  Doubdan  compares 
them  with  the  Tombs  of  the  Judges  and  Kings ;  but 
says  the  chambers  are  not  square,  as  in  these,  but  con¬ 
sist  of  two  large  and  high  galleries  cut  strictly  one 
within  the  other  in  a  continued  curve ;  the  holes  or 
niches  for  the  bodies  being  on  a  level  with  the  floor.2 
These  sepulchres  are  not  often  mentioned  by  travel¬ 
lers,  and  no  exact  description  of  them  seems  to  exist. 
I  regret  therefore  the  more,  that  we  did  not  visit  them.3 

1)  Descr.  of  the  East,  II.  p.  29,  i.  p.  577.  The  “  subterraneous 

fol.  pyramid”  upon  the  pinnacle  of  the 

2)  Voyage,  etc.  p.  285.  mountain,  which  he  holds  to  be  a 

3)  See  further  Q,uaresmius  II.  work  of  pagan  idolatry,  we  did  not 
p.  305.  Chateaubriand  Itin.  II.  p.  see ;  but  according  to  his  descrip- 
37,  Paris  1837.  I  am  not  sure,  tion,  it  answers  well  to  one  of  the 
whether  these  belong  among  the  ordinary  subterranean  magazines 
u  certain  subterraneous  chambers”  so  common  in  the  villages  of  Pales- 
mentioned  by  Dr.  Clarke  on  the  tine. 

Mount  of  Olives  ;  Travels,  4to.  II. 


- 


' 

- 

'  -  '  ■  ■ 

* 


l  .  i  : 


'  >  • 

f 


, 


. 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS, 


Note  I.  Page  22. 

Diocletian’s  Column.  See  Wilkinson’s  Thebes  and  Egypt, 
Lond.  1835,  p.  289.  “The  pillar  of  Diocletian  has  an  inscription 
at  its  base,  and  was  probably  once  surmounted  by  an  equestrian 
statue  ;  as  four  cramps  are  still  visible  on  its  summit. — The  length 
of  the  shaft  is  seventy-three  feet  [a  solid  block  of  granite]  ;  the 
total  height  ninety-eight  feet  nine  inches;  the  circumference 
twenty-seven  feet  eight  inches;  and  the  diameter  of  the  top  of 
the  capital  sixteen  feet  six  inches.  The  shaft  is  elegant  and  of 
good  style  ;  but  the  capital  and  pedestal  are  of  inferior  workman¬ 
ship,  and  have  the  appearance  of  being  of  a  different  period. 
Indeed  it  is  probable  that  the  shaft  was  of  a  Greek  epoch  ;  and 
that  the  unfinished  capital  and  pedestal  were  added  to  it,  at  the 
time  of  its  erection  in  honour  of  Diocletian.” — The  inscription,  as 
copied  by  Mr.  Wilkinson.  “  by  means  of  a  ladder  and  chalking 
out  the  letters,”  is  as  follows ;  the  last  word  being  doubtful : 

T OV  TIJUUOTCCTOV  (XVTOXgCCTOgCC 

r ov  tcoXiov/ov  aX^avd^siag 
dioxb]TLavov  t ov  avwrjTov 
novfihoq  Enagxog  ruyvmov 
Enccya&w ? 


Note  II.  Page  28. 

Irrigation.  On  the  different  machines  for  raising  water  in 
Egypt,  see  Niebuhr’s  Reisebeschr.  I.  p.  148,  and  Tab.  XV.  For 
the  Shaditf j  see  Lane’s  Mod.  Egyptians,  II.  p.  24. — The  water¬ 
wheel,  Sdkieh ,  is  usually  turned  by  an  ox,  and  raises  the  water 
by  means  of  jars  fastened  to  a  circular  or  endless  rope,  which 
hangs  over  the  wheel.  The  Shaditf  has  a  toilsome  occupation. 
His  instrument  is  exactly  the  well-sweep  of  New  England  in 


542 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


[IIL 


miniature,  supported  by  a  cross-piece  resting  on  two  upright 
posts  of  wood  or  mud.  His  bucket  is  of  leather  or  wicker-work. 
Two  of  these  instruments  are  usually  fixed  side  by  side,  and  the 
men  keep  time  at  their  work,  raising  the  water  five  or  six  feet. 
Where  the  banks  are  higher,  two,  three,  and  even  four  couples 
are  thus  employed,  one  above  another. 

There  is  nothing  now  in  Egypt  which  illustrates  the  ancient 
practice  of  “watering  with  the  foot,”  alluded  to  in  Deut.  xi.  10. 
This  is  sometimes  referred  to  the  mode  of  distributing  water 
when  already  raised,  among  the  channels  of  a  field,  by  making 
or  breaking  down  with  the  foot  the  small  ridges  which  regulate  its 
flow.  But  this  explanation  seems  not  to  reach  the  point ;  for  the 
passage  in  question  evidently  refers  to  the  mode  of  supplying 
water,  not  of  distributing  it.  Possibly  in  more  ancient  times  the 
water-wheel  may  have  been  smaller,  and  turned  not  by  oxen, 
but  by  men  pressing  upon  it  with  the  foot,  in  the  same  way  that 
water  is  still  often  drawn  from  wells  in  Palestine,  as  we  after¬ 
wards  saw.  Niebuhr  describes  one  such  machine  in  Cairo,  where  it 
was  called  Sdkieh  tediir  bir-rijl ,  “  a  watering  machine  that  turns 
by  the  foot,”  a  view  of  which  he  also  subjoins.  The  labourer  sits 
on  a  level  with  the  axis  of  the  wheel  or  reel,  and  turns  it  by 
drawing  the  upper  part  towards  him  with  his  hands,  pushing  the 
rounds  of  the  under  part  at  the  same  time  with  his  feet  one  after 
another.  In  Palestine  the  wheel  or  reel  is  more  rude  ;  and  a 
single  rope  is  used,  which  is  wound  up  around  it  by  the  same 
process. 


Note  III.  Page  29. 

Thebes.  The  Sea.  Nahum  iii.  8.  The  “  Sea”  referred  to 
in  this  passage  is  the  river  Nile,  which  to  the  present  day  in 
Egypt  is  named  el-Bahr ,  “the  Sea,”  as  its  most  common  appel¬ 
lation.  Our  Egyptian  servant,  who  spoke  English,  always  called 
it  “  the  Sea.”  Compare  Wilkinson’s  Thebes,  etc.  p.  40. — In  Egypt 
the  word  el-Bahr ,  implying  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  is  also  com¬ 
monly  used  for  North ;  a  North-wind  is  called  “  Sea-wind,”  as 
coming  from  the  Mediterranean.  This  shows  the  fallacy  of  an 
argument  sometimes  used  to  prove,  that  the  Hebrew  was  the 
original  language  of  Palestine,  viz.  that  the  word  sea  (D^)  is  also 
the  Hebrew  term  for  West.  If  for  this  reason  the  Hebrew  lan¬ 
guage  were  original  in  Palestine,  then  also  the  Arabic  must  have 
been  so  in  Egypt. — In  like  manner  in  Syria  the  word  Kibleh , 
referring  to  Mecca,  is  now  universally  employed  for  South. 


IV— VI.] 


THEBES.  CAIRO.  EGYPT. 


543 


Note  IV.  Page  32. 

Theban  Tombs.  Among  the  Tombs  of  the  Kings,  that  marked 
by  Wilkinson  as  No.  2,  has  become  a  sort  of  album  for  travellers. 
The  name  of  Sheikh  Ibrahim  (Burckhardt)  appears  twice  in  1813, 
both  on  his  way  upward  to  Dongola,  and  on  his  return  :  Ibrahim 
— post  reditum  suum  a  limitibus  regni  Dongolae.  The  names  of 
Belzoni,  Irby  and  Mangles,  Riippell,  and  many  other  travellers, 
are  also  there.  In  a  corner  adjacent — an  American  corner — we 
added  our  names  to  those  of  several  of  our  countrymen  ;  some  of 
whom  have  already  found  their  graves  in  distant  lands. 

All  these  tombs  are  entirely  exposed  to  the  depredations  of 
the  Arabs  and  of  travellers  ;  and  are  every  year  becoming  more 
and  more  defaced.  The  tomb  marked  by  Wilkinson  as  No.  35, 
near  the  foot  of  the  hill  Sheikh  Abd  el-Kurneh,  which  he  justly 
regards  as  “by  far  the  most  curious  of  all  the  tombs  in  Thebes,” 
was  occupied  at  the  time  of  our  visit  by  an  Arab  family  with  their 
cattle.  The  walls  wTere  already  black  with  smoke,  and  many  of 
thepain  tings  destroyed.  See  Wilkinson’s  Thebes,  etc.  pp.  151 — - 
157. 


Note  V.  Page  35. 

Cairo.  Lane’s  Manners  and  Customs  of  the  Modern  Egyp¬ 
tians,  Lond.  1836.  2  Vols. — Through  our  friend,  the  Rev.  Mr* 
Lieder,  we  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  bookseller  so  amusingly 
described  by  Mr.  Lane  in  his  preface.  He  visited  us  several 
times  at  our  rooms,  bringing  with  him  books  which  had  been 
inquired  for.  In  this  way  we  were  able,  my  companion  especially, 
to  purchase  several  valuable  Arabic  works. 

The  magician  who  has  become  so  famous  in  Europe  through 
Mr.  Lane,  (Yol.  I.  p.  347,)  we  did  not  see.  But  we  learned 
enough  on  the  subject  to  persuade  us,  that  the  whole  matter  de¬ 
pends  on  a  certain  proneness  to  believe  on  the  part  of  the  specta¬ 
tor,  and  a  series  of  leading  questions  on  the  part  of  the  operator. 
We  were  further  informed  on  good  authority,  that  he  exhibits  his 
art  only  before  Franks;  and  that  the  native  Egyptians  know 
little  or  nothing  of  the  matter. 


Note  VI.  Page  45. 

Egypt.  For  the  traveller  in  Egypt,  the  two  works  so  often 
referred  to  in  the  text,  are  indispensable,  viz.  Wilkinson’s  Topo¬ 
graphy  of  Thebes  and  General  View  of  Egypt ,  Lond.  1835  ;  and 


544 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


[VII. 


Lane’s  Account  of  the  Manners  aud  Customs  of  the  Modern  Egyp¬ 
tians ,  2  Vols.  Lond.  1836.  If  the  traveller  wish  to  knowhow  the 
Egyptians  of  old  lived,  he  may  best  add  Wilkinson’s  Account  of  the 
Manners  and  Customs  of  the  Ancient  Egyptians ,  3  Vols.  Lond.  1837. 
If  farther  he  be  desirous  of  comparing  the  contradictory  accounts 
and  theories  of  former  travellers,  he  may  take  along  the  volumes 
of  the  Modern  Traveller  in  Egypt. 

The  best  works  on  the  present  condition  and  statistics  of  Egypt, 
are  the  following  :  Mengin,  Histoire  de  VEgypte  sous  le  Gouverne- 
ment  de  Mohammed  Aly.  .  .  .  avec  des  notes  par  MM.  Langles  et 
Jomard ,  2  Tom.  Paris  1823 ;  also  a  continuation  of  the  same 
work,  “  de  l’an  1823  a  Pan  1838,”  Paris  1839.  St.  John,  Egypt 
and  Mohammed  Ali,  or  Travels  in  the  Valley  of  the  Nile, ‘UN ols.Lond. 
1834.  Marmont,  (Due  de  Raguse)  Voyage  en  Hongrie  etc. . .  .  enSy- 
rie ,  en  Palestine ,  et  en  Egypte ,  5  Tom.  Paris,  1837.  I  was  however 
assured,  on  very  high  authority,  that  the  statistical  accounts  in 
these  works  were  not  wholly  to  be  relied  on.  The  most  condensed 
and  accurate  account  of  Egypt  and  Muhammed  Aly  which  I  have 
yet  seen,  is  contained  in  the  preliminary  sections  of  Ruppell’s 
Reise  in  Abyssinien ,  Frankfort,  1838.  The  latest  and  most 
authentic  document  is  Dr.  Bowring’s  Report  on  Egypt,  containing 
the  statistics  of  the  country  in  1838,  printed  by  order  of  Parlia¬ 
ment,  Lond.  1840. 

The  best  Maps  of  Egypt  are  those  of  Col.  Leake  and  Arrow- 
smith.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  Wilkinson’s  large  Map  of 
that  country  has  not  yet  appeared. 


Note  VII.  Page  66. 

Rate  of  Travel.  During  our  journey,  we  several  times 
measured  the  ordinary  rate  of  our  camels’  walk;  and  found  it  to 
be  on  an  average  nearest  to  2^  English  miles  the  hour,  when  in 
full  progress.  But  there  are  always  little  delays  ;  sometimes  the 
animals  browse  more  ;  or  a  load  is  to  be  adjusted  ;  or  an  observa¬ 
tion  to  be  taken ;  so  that  the  preceding  estimate  would  be  too 
high  for  a  whole  day’s  march.  If,  therefore,  we  assume  the  hour 
with  camels  at  two  geographical  miles,  or  nearly  2£-  English 
miles,  we  shall  obtain  a  near  approximation  to  the  truth,  as  well 
as  a  convenient  standard.  The  statement  in  the  text  is  founded 
on  this  estimate.  According  to  Wilkinson,  the  distance  from 
Cairo  to  Suez  is  about  69  English  miles  on  a  straight  line,  and  74 
by  the  road.  Thebes,  etc.  pp.  319,  320. 

The  rate  of  the  camel’s  walk,  and  of  course  the  distance 


RATE  OF  TRAVEL.  SUEZ. 


545 


VIII.] 

passed  over  in  an  hour,  varies  somewhat  according  to  the  nature 
of  the  ground.  On  the  gravelly  plains  of  the  desert  it  is  natu- 
rally  greater  than  in  mountainous  and  rocky  districts.  The  fol¬ 
lowing  rates  upon  subsequent  parts  of  our  journey,  were  de¬ 
duced  by  Prof.  Berghaus  from;  a  comparison  of  our  routes  with 
the  known  geographical  distances  between  the  given  points : 

Between  Suez  and  Sinai,  G.  M.  2,090 
u  Sinai  and  ’Akabah  1,837 

u  ’Akabah  and  Hebron  2,130 

Mean  rate  2,019 

The  rate  of  travelling  with  horses  and  mules  in  Palestine  is 
considerably  faster  than  the  above ;  and  is  usually  assumed  at 
three  English  miles  the  hour.  But  some  allowance  must  be  made 
from  this ;  and,  besides,  the  rate  is  far  more  variable  than  with 
camels  in  the  desert ;  owing  partly  to  the  character  of  the  animals, 
and  partly  to  the  state  of  the  roads  and  the  uneven  nature  of  the 
country.  Under  all  the  circumstances,  I  can  fix  on  no  better 
mean  rate  for  the  hour  with  horses  and  mules,  than  2.  4  geogr. 
miles,  which  is  equivalent  to  about  2f  Engl,  miles  or  exactly  3 
Roman  miles.  But  the  rate  which  would  be  quite  correct  be¬ 
tween  Gaza  and  Ramleh,  for  example,  would  be  much  less  so 
between  Ramleh  and  Jerusalem  ;  the  former  distance  being  nearly 
level,  and  the  latter  mountainous  and  difficult. 


Note  VIII.  Page  68. 

Suez.  The  present  town  of  Suez  appears  to  have  sprung  up 
in  the  first  half  of  the  sixteenth  century.  The  early  Arabian 
writers  speak  only  of  Kolzum,  which  Abulfeda  (born  A.  D.  1273) 
describes  as  a  small  city ;  Reiske’s  Transl.  in  Biisching’s  Mag- 
azin,  Th.  IV.  S.  196.  Rudolf  de  Suchem,  who  travelled  here  about 
1340,  speaks  of  a  castle  of  the  ‘  Soldan’  on  this  part  of  the  Red 
*  Sea,  probably  the  remains  of  Kolzum ;  but  he  gives  it  no  name. 
Tucher  of  Nurnberg  was  here  in  1480,  and  mentions  the  “  moun¬ 
tain  of  Suez”  at  the  end  of  the  Gulf,  meaning  probably  ’At&kah. 
He  says  there  was  here  a  landing-place,  to  which  spices  and  wares 
were  brought  from  Althor  (et-Tur)  and  so  carried  to  Cairo  and 
Alexandria.  Breydenbach  and  Felix  Fabri  passed  in  1484,  but 
give  no  name,  and  speak  only  of  the  remains  of  the  canal.  In 
1516  it  is  mentioned  still  as  a  landing-place  by  Ben-Ayas,  an 
Arabian  writer  ;  and  in  1538  a  fleet  was  built  here  by  Suleiman, 
who  sailed  hence  on  an  expedition  against  Yemen.  See  Notices 

Vol.  I.  69 


546 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


[IX. 


et  Extraits  des  Mss.  etc.  Tom.  VI.  p.  356.  Ritter’s  Erdkunde 
Tli.  II.  p.  231.  ed.  1818.  Belon  about  1546  describes  Suez;  and 
says  an  old  castle  lay  near  it  upon  a  small  hill,  doubtless  Tell 
Kolzum.  Lowenstein  and  Wormbser  in  1561,  and  HelfFrich  in 
1565,  speak  of  Suez  as  a  fortress,  near  which  vessels  lay  ;  and  the 
latter  describes  it  as  consisting  of  several  block-houses  built  of 
the  trunks  of  palm-trees,  and  filled  in  with  earth,  with  a  few 
dwelling-houses.  In  1647,  according  to  Monconys,  (I.  p.  209,) 
it  was  a  small  place  in  ruins,  inhabited  chiefly  by  Greek  Chris¬ 
tians.  In  Niebuhr’s  time  it  was  still  without  walls ;  Reisebeschr. 
I.  p.  219. — For  the  older  travellers  above  cited,  see  Reissbuch 
des  heiligen  Landes,  fol. 

The  head  of  this  Gulf  has  always  been  a  place  for  building 
fleets.  iElius  Gallus  in  his  celebrated  expedition  into  Arabia 
Petraea,  built  at  Cleopatris  a  fleet,  first  of  80  large  galleys,  and 
then  130  smaller  vessels ;  Strabo  XVI.  4.  23.  During  the  cru¬ 
sades  also,  the  brother  of  Saladin  caused  a  fleet  to  be  hastily  built 
at  Kolzum  against  the  Christians  who  had  attacked  Ailah.  See 
Wilken’s  Geschichte  der  Kreuzziige,  III.  ii.  p.  223. 


Note  IX.  Page  73. 

Wady  Tawarik.  Our  guides  of  the  Tawarah,  and  also  intel¬ 
ligent  natives  of  Suez,  knew  no  other  name  for  the  valley  S.  of 
Jebel  ’Atakah,  than  Wady  Tawarik.  By  the  French  engineers, 
and  also  by  some  writers  before  them,  it  is  called  Wady  er-Ram- 
liyeh, 4  the  Sandy.’  Niebuhr  and  a  few  earlier  travellers  speak  of 
the  part  near  the  Gulf  under  the  name  of  Bedea ;  though  the  for¬ 
mer  says  his  Arab  guides  did  not  know  this  name.  See  Le  Pere 
in  Descr.  de  1’Egypte,  Et.  Mod.  I.  p.  47.  Niebuhr’s  Beschr.  von 
Arabien,  p.  409. 

The  name  Wady  et-Tih ,  ‘Valley  of  Wandering,’  which  has 
sometimes  been  given  to  the  same  valley  by  travellers,  seems  not 
now  to  be  known  ;  and  if  it  ever  actually  existed  among  the 
Arabs,  it  was  probably  of  Christian  origin.  Monconys  in  1647 
travelled  through  the  valley,  but  did  not  hear  this  name.  Pater 
Sicard,  the  Jesuit  Missionary  in  Egypt,  who  wrote  an  Essay  to 
prove  that  the  Israelites  passed  by  way  of  this  valley,  (which  he 
himself  visited  in  1720,)  does  not  mention  the  name  Tih  ;  although 
it  would  have  afforded  him  so  opportune  an  argument  from  tra¬ 
dition  in  support  of  his  theory.  The  name  therefore  probably 
did  not  exist  at  that  time  ;  and  may  perhaps  have  come  into 
partial  use  among  the  Latins  and  their  Arab  dependents  in  con- 


X,  XI.] 


ANCIENT  CANAL,  ETC. 


547 


sequence  of  this  very  theory.  Yet  neither  Pococke  nor  Niebuhr 
has  the  name,  as  applied  to  this  valley.  The  latter  indeed  gives 
the  name  Etti  to  the  part  of  the  desert  plain  opposite  to  its 
mouth,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Gulf ;  of  which  however  no  trace 
now  exists.  Reisebeschr.  I.  pp.  229,  251.  See  Nouv.  Mem.  des 
Missions,  T.  VI.  p.  1,  seq.  Paulus’  Sammlung  der  Reisen,  etc.  Th. 
V.  S.  210,  seq. 


Note  X.  Page  74. 

Valley  of  the  Seven  Wells.  In  February  1827,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Smith,  my  companion,  travelled  with  a  caravan  by  the  direct 
route  from  Belbeis  to  el-’Arish,  passing  by  the  well  of  Abu  Su- 
weirah.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  him 
at  the  time,  describing  the  Valley  of  the  Seven  Wells.  “We  pass¬ 
ed,”  he  says,  “  one  tract  of  land,  the  features  of  which  were  so 
distinctly  marked  as  to  excite  considerable  curiosity.  It  was  a 
sort  of  valley  a  little  lower  than  the  surrounding  country,  into 
which  we  descended  at  a  place  with  ruins  about  ten  and  a  half 
hours  from  Belbeis.  It  extends  Northwest  and  Southeast,  de¬ 
scending  towards  the  Nile,  and  narrowing  in  this  direction.  We 
were  told  that  the  Nile  occasionally  flows  up  this  valley  to  the 
spot  where  we  crossed  it.  Towards  the  Southeast  it  gradually 
ascends,  and  widens  into  an  immense  plain,  the  limits  of  which 
in  that  direction  we  could  not  discern.  From  this  plain,  the  east¬ 
ern  extremity  of  the  Suez  mountain  [’Atakah]  which  now  showed 
itself  for  the  first  time,  bore  S.  by  E.  The  soil  of  this  tract  was  a 
dark  mould.  I  do  not  doubt  that  water  might  be  found  in  any 
part  of  it,  by  digging  a  few  feet.  Indeed  after  travelling  upon  it 
four  and  a  half  hours,  we  came  to  a  well  only  twelve  or  fifteen 
feet  deep,  but  sufficiently  copious  to  water  the  [200]  camels,  and 
fill  the  water-skins,  of  the  whole  caravan,  and  containing  the  only 
sweet  water  that  we  found  in  the  desert ;  all  the  other  wells 
being  brackish.  It  is  called  Abu  Suweirah.  Having  seen  how 
extensively  artificial  irrigation  is  practised  in  Egypt,  I  was 
easily  persuaded  that  this  whole  tract  might  once  have  been  under 
the  highest  cultivation.”  They  passed  the  mounds  of  the  ancient 
canal  on  the  north  side  of  this  valley ;  and  saw,  on  their  right, 
tracts  covered  apparently  with  salt,  like  those  mentioned  by  Seetz- 
en  j  see  Note  XI. 


Note  XI.  Page  74. 

Ancient  Canal.  Fbench  Measurements.  The  statements  in 


548 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


[XI. 


the  text,  here  and  elsewhere,  respecting  the  country  along  the 
ancient  canal,  are  founded  on  the  results  obtained  by  the  French 
engineers,  as  recorded  in  the  great  work  on  Egypt ;  and  in  a 
more  convenient  form  in  the  article  of  Mr.  Maclarin,  Edinb.  Philos. 
Journal,  1825,  Vol.  XIII.  p.  274,  seq.  It  is  proper  to  mention,  how¬ 
ever,  that  strong  doubts  exist  as  to  the  accuracy  of  these  results. 

I  have  been  informed,  that  a  learned  foreigner  when  in  Paris  once 
endeavoured  to  get  access  to  the  original  notes  and  measure¬ 
ments,  in  order  to  submit  them  to  a  re-examination  j  but  without 
success. 

The  French  found  the  level  of  the  Red  Sea  at  Suez  to  be  at 
high  water  30^  Fr.  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean  ; 
and  at  low  water,  25  Fr.  feet  j  giving  a  mean  of  27^-  Fr.  feet.  The 
height  of  the  Nile  at  Cairo,  they  found  to  be  in  ordinary  floods 
39£  Fr.  feet  above  the  Mediterranean  $  and  at  its  lowest  point, 
16  Fr.  feet  ;f giving  a  mean  of  27£  Fr.  feet.  Hence  it  appears  that 
the  mean  height  of  the  Nile  at  Cairo,  is  the  same  with  that  of  the 
Gulf  of  Suez  ;  while  at  ordinary  times  the  Nile  sinks  several  feet 
below  the  level  of  the  Gulf. — But  the  tolerably  accordant  testi¬ 
mony  of  ancient  writers,  and  especially  that  of  Strabo,  who  wrote 
as  an  eye-witness,  shows  pretty  conclusively,  that  the  canal  was 
supplied  with  water  wholly  from  the  Nile,  and  that  the  water  of 
that  river  flowed  through  the  whole  length  of  the  canal  into  the  Red 
Sea.  See  the  extract  from  Strabo  in  Note  XIII.  The  testimony 
of  Arabian  historians  as  to  the  opening  of  the  canal  under  the 
Khalif  Omar,  about  A.  D.  640,  goes  to  support  the  same  view ; 
see  especially  Makrizi  in  Notices  et  Extraits  des  Mss.  etc.  Tom. 
VI.  p.  333,  seq. — This  however  would  obviously  be  incompatible 
with  accuracy  in  the  French  measurements,  except  at  the  height 
of  the  inundation  of  the  Nile. 

In  A.  D.  1810  Seetzen  travelled  with  camels  along  the  track 
of  the  ancient  canal  ;  and  his  notices  of  it  are  found  in  Zach’s 
Monatl.  Correspondenz,  Vol.  XXVI.  p.  385,  seq.  He  calls  the  Val¬ 
ley  of  the  Seven  Wells,  Wady  Shoiaib  ;  and  the  Crocodile  Lakes, 
el-Memlah.  The  marshes  further  East  he  speaks  of  as  a  salt- 
plain  of  a  white  appearance,  bounded  in  some  parts  by  precipi¬ 
tous  hills. 

The  mounds  of  the  ancient  canal  commence,  as  we  saw  them, 
about  an  hour  and  a  half  N.  of  Suez.  From  this  point  Seetzen 
traced  them  two  hours  and  a  half  with  camels ;  and  then  travelled 
an  hour  and  a  half  further,  to  the  border  of  the  salt-plain.  This 
accords  well  with  the  distance  from  Suez  to  the  Bitter  Lakes  as 


XII,  XIII.] 


PELUSIAC  NILE.  HEROOPOLIS. 


549 


given  by  the  French,  viz.  11]-  geogr.  miles  nearly.  From  this 
spot  to  el-JLrbek ,  the  point  which  the  water  of  the  Nile  reaches 
in  high  inundations,  Seetzen  found  the  distance  to  be  two  hours ; 
and  the  whole  distance  from  Suez,  eight  hours  ;  1.  c.  p.  389.  This 
traveller  seems  not  to  have  been  aware,  that  the  French  had  found 
the  level  of  this  tract  to  be  lower  than  that  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez  ; 
for  he  remarks,  that  “this  plain  has  everywhere  a  slight  declivity 
towards  the  salt  lake”el-Memlah,  which  annually  receives  water 
from  the  Nile  $”  1.  c.  p.  388. 

The  mounds  of  the  canal  now  remaining  are  described  as  being 
from  one  or  two  feet  to  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  in  height ;  the  space 
between  them  being  generally  about  thirty  or  forty  yards. 


Note  XII.  Page  76. 

Pelusiac  Nile. — The  Pelusiac  arm  of  the  Nile  has  usually  been 
assumed  as  navigable,  in  consequence  of  a  passage  in  Arrian, 
where  he  is  describing  the  expedition  of  Alexander  against  Mem¬ 
phis  ;  Exp.  Alex.  III.  1.  4.  From  Pelusium,  he  says,  Alexander 
ordered  part  of  his  troops  to  sail  with  the  fleet  up  the  river  to 
Memphis  j  while  he  with  the  remainder  marched  through  the  de¬ 
sert  to  Heliopolis,  having  the  Nile  on  the  right  hand.  cO  de  eig 
/lev  Ih]kovcnov  cpvXav.rtv  slarj/aye,  t ovg  ds  ini  rtbvjfcvedjv  uvanXeiv  ucaa 
tov  norafiov  xeXevcrag,  eg  re  ini  Mificpiv  noXiv,  avzog  icp  c IlXiovnoXeixtg 
i)ei,  iv  de gut  eyoov  tov  norafiov  NeiXov ,  xal  ....  dia  r rjg  i(j)jfiov 
aylxeTo  ig  cIlXiovnoXiv.  But  this  language  certainly  does  not 
necessarily  imply,  that  the  fleet  sailed  up  the  Pelusiac  branch,  or 
that  it  did  not  proceed  for  some  distance  along  the  coast  and  then 
ascend  another  branch.  Just  as  at  the  present  day,  when  it  is 
said  that  a  vessel  sails  from  Alexandria  up  the  river  to  Cairo,  we 
do  not  understand  that  it  follows  the  canal  or  the  old  Canopic  arm, 
instead  of  running  along  the  shore  to  the  Rosetta  or  Damietta 
branch.  All  ancient  writers  appear  to  be  silent  as  to  the  magni¬ 
tude  of  the  eastern  arm  of  the  Nile  ;  nor  is  there  any  thing  in  the 
nature  or  appearance  of  the  country,  to  show  that  it  was  formerly 
very  much  larger  than  the  modern  canal  which  occupies  its  place. 
The  most  definite  mention  of  it  is  by  Strabo,  XVII.  1.  4.  Com¬ 
pare  Rennell’s  Geogr.  Syst.  of  Herodot.  II.  p.  171,  seq. 


Note  XIII.  Page  80. 

Heroopolis.  See  on  this  whole  subject  the  Memoires  of  Le 
Pere  and  Du  Bois  Ayme  in  Descr.  de  PEgypte,  Et.  Mod.  I.  p.  21, 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


550 


[XIV. 


seq.  p.187,  seq.  Also  of  Roziere,  ibid.  Antiq.  Mem.  I.  p.  127,  seq. 
Ritter’s  Erdkunde  II.  p.  234,  seq.  1818. 

One  passage  of  Strabo  is  too  remarkable  and  decisive  not  to  be 
inserted  here.  Lib.  XVII.  1.  25,  26,  3,AXXrj  83  iaTiv  [duogv^]  ex8l- 
Sovau  slg  tt]V  3JEgv&QUV  x al  t ov  3Aq(x(3lov  xoXnov,  xal  [xaial:  nohv 
iQGLVoijV,  i)v  tv io i  KXsonaTgida  xaXovcn.  AiocggsX  8s  xal  8ux  twv  tilxqmv 
xaXovpsvwv  Xipvwv,  cti  tiqoteqovi  piv  rjcrav  mxgai'  TpTi&siarjg  8s  t ijg 
8ia iQvyog  zr^g  XsxxXslaTjg,  psraftuXXovTO  xfj  xqcmjel  t ov  noTupov  *  xal  vvv 
slaiv  svoxpoi,  psaral  8s  xal  tmv  iXipvaioiv  ogvscov.  —  —  nXr](jlov  8s 
Tr]g  JAg(nvor\g  xal  7]  t&v  7/^mo) v  stjtI  noXig  xal  rj  KXsonarglg,  iv  to} 
pv/cg  t ov  3Agafiiov  xoXnov  tm  ngog  AI'/vtctov  x.i  r.  X.  “Another  [canal] 
empties  into  the  Red  Sea  and  Arabian  Gulf  [at]  the  city  Arsinoe, 
which  some  call  Cleopatris.  It  also  flows  through  the  Bitter 
Lakes  so  called,  which  indeed  were  formerly  bitter;  but  the  said 
canal  being  cut,  they  were  changed  by  the  mixture  of  the  river, 
and  are  now  full  of  fish  and  water-fowl. — Near  to  A.rsinoe  is  also 
Heroopolis  and  Cleopatris,  at  the  corner  of  the  Arabian  Gulf  next 
to  Egypt.”  In  two  other  passages  the  same  position  is  assigned 
to  Heroopolis ;  Lib.  XVI.  4.  2,  5.  Hence  it  very  naturally  gave 
name  to  the  Gulf,  Sinus  Heroopoliticus. 

At  first  view,  the^ position  here  given  to  Heroopolis  might 
seem  inconsistent  with  the  language  of  the  Seventy  and  Josephus, 
who  make  Joseph  go  up  (probably  from  Memphis)  as  far  as  to  He¬ 
roopolis  to  meet  Jacob,  as  he  comes  to  Egypt  from  Beersheba. 
Sept.  Gen.  xlvi.  28,  29.  Joseph.  Ant.  II.  7.  5.  But  this  difficulty  is 
only  apparent ;  for  we  found  at  a  later  period  of  our  journey,  that 
the  present  usual  caravan-route  from  Hebron  by  way  of  Beersheba 
to  Cairo,  still  passes  by  ’Ajrud. 


Note  XIV.  Page  170. 

Manna.  For  the  insect  which  occasions  the  manna,  Coccus 
maniparus,  see  Ehrenberg’s  Symbola  Physica,  Insecta ,  Dec.  I.  Tab. 
10.  For  a  representation  of  the  tamarisk,  with  the  insects  and 
manna  upon  it,  see  the  same  work,  Plantae ,  Dec.  J.  Tab.  1,  2. 
See  also  a  full  article  upon  the  tamarisk  by  the  same  writer,  in 
Schlechtendal’s  Linnaea ,  Journal  fur  die  Botanik,  Bd.  II.  p.  241. 
Berlin  1827. 

A  chemical  analysis  by  Prof.  Mitscherlich  of  Berlin,  showed 
that  the  manna  of  the  tamarisk  of  Sinai  contains  no  Mannin 
susceptible  of  crystallization ;  but  is  merely  an  inspissated 
sugar  (Schleimzucker).  Linnaea,  ibid.  p.  282. 


MANNA.  HOREB  AND  SINAI. 


551 


XV.] 

Josephus  speaks  of  manna  as  existing  at  Sinai  in  his  day  3 
Antiq.  III.  1.  6.  A  similar  substance  is  found  on  different  trees  in 
various  countries  of  the  East  5  see  Niebuhr’s  Beschr.  von  Arab, 
p.  145.  Hardwicke  in  Asiat.  Researches,  XIV.  p.  182,  seq.  Winer 
Bibl.  Realw.  II.  p.  64,  seq. 


Note  XV.  Page  178. 

Horeb  and  Sinai.  The  same  view  respecting  the  use  of  Horeb 
as  the  general  name,  and  Sinai  as  the  specific  one,  is  adopted  by 
Hengstenberg,  Authentie  des  Pent.  II.  p.  396.  Berl.  1839. — The 
mountain  is  first  mentioned  only  as  Horeb ,  Ex.  iii.  1 ;  then  Ex.  xvii. 
6 ;  and  the  same  is  necessarily  implied  Ex.  iii.  12.  iv.  28, 
xviii.  5.  Sinai  is  first  used  Ex.  xix.  1,  2,  where  the  Israelites 
are  said  to  have  departed  from  Rephidim  and  come  to  the 
“  desert  of  Sinai.”  From  this  time,  with  one  exception  (Ex. 
xxxiii.  6),  during  their  whole  sojourn  in  the  vicinity,  Sinai 
alone  is  spoken  of,  Ex.  xix.  11,  18,  23.  xxiv.  16.  xxxi.  18.  xxxiv. 
29,  32.  Lev.  vii.  38.  xxv.  1.  xxvi.  46.  xxvii.  34.  Num.  i.  l.iii.  1, 
14.  In  Num.  x.  12,  they  break  up  from  Sinai  ;  and  in  the  list  of 
stations,  Num.  xxxiii.  15,  Sinai  also  naturally  appears.  But  else¬ 
where  after  their  departure,  and  through  the  whole  Book  of  Deu¬ 
teronomy,  (except  in  the  Song  of  Moses,  xxxiii.  2,)  Horeb  alone  is 
named ;  and  the  same  events  are  spoken  of  as  occurring  on  Horeb, 
which  were  before  described  as  taking  place  on  Sinai ;  Deut.  i.  2,  6, 
19.  iv.  10,  15.  v.  2.  ix.  8.  xviii.  16.  xxviii.  69.  [xxix.l.]  Later  sacred 
writers  employ  both  names  ;  e.  g.  Horeb ,  1  K.  viii.  9.  xix.  8. 
2  Chr.  v.  10.  Ps.  cvi.  19.  Mai.  iii.  22.  [iv.  4.]  Sinai ,  Judg.  v.  5. 
Ps.  lxviii.  9,  18.  [8,  17.]  In  the  New  Testament,  Sinai  alone  is 
read,  and  had  then  apparently  become  a  general  name,  as  at  the 
present  day ;  Acts  vii.  30,  38.  Gal.  iv.  24,  25.  The  same  is  the 
case  throughout  in  the  writings  of  Josephus.  About  the  end  of 
the  sixth  century,  according  to  the  Itinerary  of  Antoninus  Martyr, 
the  name  Horeb  was  specially  applied  to  the  present  Mountain 
of  the  Cross,  east  of  the  valley  in  which  the  convent  stands. 

In  more  modern  times,  and  ever  since  the  crusades,  the  appli¬ 
cation  of  the  names  Sinai  and  Horeb  to  the  particular  mountains 
or  peaks  has  varied  greatly  among  travellers.  Sir  John  Maunde- 
ville  after  A.  D.  1322,  uses  Sinai  as  a  general  name,  including 
Jebel  Mtisa  and  St.  Catharine  ;  but  says  the  part  where  the  chapel 
of  Elias  stands,  is  called  Horeb,  corresponding  nearly  to  the  pre¬ 
sent  common  usage.  Rudolf  or  Peter  de  Suchem,  A.  D.  1336 — 50, 
gives  the  specific  name  Sinai  to  Jebel  Musa  only  j  and  applies 


552 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


[XVI,  XVII. 


that  of  Horeb  apparently  to  St.  Catharine. — Tucher  of  Niirnberg 
in  A.  D.  1479  speaks  of  Jebel  Musa  as  Horeb,  and  St.  Catharine 
as  Sinai ;  and  this  nomenclature  is  followed  by  Breydenbach  and 
Fabri  in  A.  D.  1484,  and  very  distinctly  by  Baumgarten  A.  D. 
1507 ;  lib.  I.  c.  24. — Afterwards  Sinai  is  employed  only  as  a 
general  name,  and  Horeb  still  appropriated  to  Jebel  Musa;  so 
Belon  A.*  D.  1546,  Lowenstein  and  Wormbser  A.  D.  1562, 
and  Troilo  so  late  as  A.  D.  1667.  But  already  in  A.  D.  1565, 
Helffrich  speaks  of  Jebel  Musa  as  Sinai  specifically ;  and  so  Mon- 
conys  A.  D.  1647. — In  A.  D.  1722,  the  present  monkish  usage, 
which  applies  the  name  Sinai  to  Jebel  Musa,  and  Horeb  to  the 
northern  part  of  the  same  ridge,  had  already  become  established  ; 
as  appears  from  the  Journal  of  the  Prefect  of  the  Franciscans  in 
that  year,  and  also  from  Van  Egmond  and  Heyman  about  the 
same  time  ;  Reizen,  etc.  II.  p.  174.  Since  that  period  there  has 
been  no  change,  so  far  as  I  know ;  until  Riippell  strangely  again 
assumes  St.  Catharine  to  be  Horeb.  Reise  in  Abyss.  I.  p.  120. 


Note  XVI.  Page  186. 

Pharan.  Feiran.  Edrisi  about  A.  D.  1150,  and  Makrizi  about 
A.  D.  1400,  both  speak  of  Feiran  as  a  city  ;  and  the  description 
of  it  by  the  latter  is  quoted  in  full  by  Burckhardt,  p.  617.  Laborde 
has  given  a  view  of  the  ruins  in  his  original  work,  which  is  not 
included  in  the  English  compilation. 

It  is  barely  possible  that  this  is  the  Pharan  or  Paran  of  Pto¬ 
lemy,  westward  of  Ailah.  Most  probably  it  is  that  of  Eusebius 
and  Jerome;  which  they  however  place  to  the  eastward  of 
Ailah,  either  from  a  mistaken  theory  or  some  confusion  of  names. 
Jerome  says  expressly,  that  the  desert  of  Pharan  joins  on  Horeb. 
See  Cellarius  Not.  Orb.  II.  p.  582.  Euseb.  et  Hieron.  Onomast.arts. 
(IxxQav,  Faran;  Xoj Choreb. — The  valley  of  Pharan  mentioned 
by  Josephus  (B.  J.  IV.  9.  4)  is  obviously  a  different  place,  some¬ 
where  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Dead  Sea ;  perhaps  connected  with 
the  mountain  and  desert  of  Paran,  so  often  spoken  of  in  the  Old 
Testament,  adjacent  to  Kadesh.  Num.  xiii.  26. 

The  Peutinger  Tables  have  a  Paran  fifty  Roman  miles  from 
Ailah  towards  Clysma,  apparently  on  the  direct  route.  This 
would  agree  better  with  the  Pharan  of  Ptolemy. 

Note  XVII.  Page  190. 

Sinaitic  Inscriptions.  These  inscriptions  are  mentioned  first 
by  Cosmas,  as  cited  in  the  text ;  and  then  by  several  of  the  early 


XVII.] 


SINAITIC  INSCRIPTIONS. 


553 


travellers  ;  as  Neitzschitz,  p.  149]  Monconys  I.  p.  245  ;  also  by 
Pococke,  I.  p.  148.  fol.  and  Niebuhr  in  his  Reisebeschr.  I.  p. 
250.  Professed  copies  of  some  of  them  are  given  by  Kircher, 
in  his  Prodromus  Coptus ;  and  also  by  Pococke  and  Niebuhr  ; 
but  they  are  very  imperfect.  Those  of  Seetzen  are  better  ; 
and  some  of  those  made  by  Burckhardt  seemed  on  a  comparison 
with  the  originals,  to  be  tolerably  accurate.  A  large  number 
of  them  have  been  copied  and  published  by  Mr.  Grey,  in  the 
Transactions  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Literature,  Vol.  III.  Pt. 
I.  Lond.  1832  ;  consisting  of  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven  in 
the  unknown  character,  nine  in  Greek,  and  one  in  Latin. 

The  remarks  of  Gesenius  upon  the  Sinaitic  inscriptions  are 
found  in  a  note  to  the  German  edition  of  Burckhardt’s  Travels  ; 
Reisen  in  Syrien,  etc.  Weimar  1824,  p.  1071. 

The  inscriptions  have  been  first  deciphered  only  within  the 
present  year  (1839)  by  Prof.  Beer  of  the  University  of  Leipzig. 
This  distinguished  palaeographist  had  already  occupied  himself 
with  them  so  long  ago  as  A.  D.  1833  ;  but  without  success.  See 
his  tract  entitled  :  Inscriptiones  et  Papyri  veteres  Semitici  quoqtuot , 
etc.  Partic.  I.  4to.  Lips.  1833.  In  the  winter  of  1838 — 9,  his 
attention  was  again  turned  to  the  inscriptions,  in  connection  per¬ 
haps  with  our  reports  and  the  residence  of  my  companion  for  a 
time  in  Leipzig  ;  and  after  several  months  of  the  most  persevering 
and  painful  application,  he  succeeded  in  making  out  the  alphabet, 
and  was  enabled  to  read  all  the  inscriptions  which  have  been  copied 
with  any  good  degree  of  accuracy.  The  results  at  which  he  has 
arrived  are  already  prepared  for  publication,  and  the  various 
tables  engraved  ;  so  that  his  work  may  not  improbably  appear 
before  these  sheets  leave  the  press. 

By  the  kind  permission  of  Prof.  Beer,  I  am  able  to  give  here  a 
summary  of  these  results.  I  ought  perhaps  to  remark,  that  all  those 
palaeographists  to  whom  they  have  been  communicated,  are  satis¬ 
fied  of  their  correctness ;  and  that  especially  some  of  the  most 
distinguished,  have  expressed  to  me  in  conversation  their  decided 
approbation  of  Beer’s  labours  and  views. 

The  characters  of  the  Sinaitic  inscriptions,  Prof.  Beer  finds  to 
belong  to  a  distinct  and  independent  alphabet.  Some  of  the  let¬ 
ters  are  wholly  peculiar;  the  others  have  more  or  less  affinity 
with  the  Palmyrene,  and  particularly  with  the  Estrangelo  and 
Cufic.  Indeed,  their  affinity  with  the  latter  is  so  great,  as  to  lead 
to  the  supposition,  that  the  Cufic  was  afterwards  developed  from 
this  alphabet.  They  are  written  from  right  to  left.  In  their  form, 
several  of  the  letters  much  resemble  each  other,  as  is  the  case  in 

Vol.  I.  70 


554 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


[XVII. 


other  ancient  alphabets.  This  sometimes  creates  considerable 
difficulty  in  deciphering  an  inscription  ;  though  not  more  than  in 
the  Cufic.  But  the  difficulty  is  here  increased  by  the  negligence 
of  the  copyists  ;  who  have  often  not  noticed  the  slight  difference 
that  actually  exists.  This  is  apparent  from  the  different  copies 
of  the  same  inscription,  which  exist  in  several  instances. 

The  contents  of  the  inscriptions,  so  far  as  Prof.  Beer  has  yet 
proceeded,  consist  only  of  proper  names ;  preceded  by  a  word, 
which  is  usually  d peace  ;  but  sometimes  T1dtai  memoriatus  sit ; 
and  in  a  very  few  cases  blessed .  Between  the  names,  the  word 

“id  or  *]d  son  often  occurs  ;  and  they  are  sometimes  followed  by 
one  or  two  words  at  the  end  ;  thus  the  word  “,lnd  priest  occurs 
twice  as  a  title.  In  one  or  two  instances  the  name  is  followed  by 
a  phrase  or  sentence,  which  has  not  yet  been  deciphered.  The 
names  are  those  common  in  Arabic  ;  but  have  this  peculiarity, 
that  most  of  those  which  are  single,  end  in  a  Vav  (i),  whether 
they  are  in  the  nominative  or  genitive  case ;  while  the  compound 
names  end  in  Yodh  (1).  Thus  we  have  fias,  UPT,  und, 

and  also  ^5*  ddd,  UJia,  ddd.  The  Arabic 

article  is  frequent  in  the  names  ;  but  has  not  always  the  Alef  (!><) 
when  in  composition. — It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  not  one  Jewish 
or  Christian  name  has  yet  been  found.  The  words  which  are  not 
proper  names,  seem  rather  to  belong  to  an  Aramaean  dialect.  A. 
language  of  this  kind,  Prof.  Beer  supposes  to  have  been  spoken 
by  the  inhabitants  of  Arabia  Petraea,  in  other  words  by  the 
Nabathaeans,  before  the  present  Arabic  language  spread  itself 
over  those  parts  ;  and  of  that  language  and  writing,  these  inscrip¬ 
tions  he  regards  as  the  only  monuments  now  known  to  exist. 

The  question  as  to  the  writers  of  the  inscriptions  receives  very 
little  light  from  their  contents.  A  word  at  the  end  of  some  of 
them,  may  be  so  read  as  to  affirm  that  they  were  pilgrims  ;  and 
this  opinion  Beer  also  adopts.  But  this  reading  is  not  certain ; 
and  the  opinion  is  to  be  supported  chiefly  from  the  fact,  that  the 
inscriptions  are  found  only  on  the  great  routes  leading  from  Suez 
to  Mount  Sinai.  The  multitude  of  them  in  WadyMukatteb  and 
around  Serbal  may  be  accounted  for,  by  supposing  that  mountain 
or  some  spot  in  its  vicinity  to  have  been  regarded  as  a  holy  place  ; 
though  probably  not  as  Sinai. — That  the  writers  were  Christians, 
seems  apparent  from  the  crosses  connected  with  many  of  the  in¬ 
scriptions.  The  same  inscription  is  in  several  instances  found  in 
more  than  one  place,  once  with  the  cross  and  again  without  it. 
The  crosses  are  of  such  a  shape,  that  they  could  not  be  acciden¬ 
tal  nor  unmeaning,  e.  g.  Y,  -P. 


XVII.] 


SINAITIC  INSCRIPTIONS. 


555 


The  age  also  of  the  inscriptions  receives  no  light  from  their 
contents  ;  as  no  date  has  yet  been  read.  On  palaeographic 
grounds,  Prof.  Beer  supposes  the  greater  part  of  them  could  not 
have  been  written  earlier  than  the  fourth  century.  Had  they  been 
written  later,  some  tradition  respecting  them  would  probably  have 
existed  in  the  time  of  Cosmas.  The  character  of  the  writing  also 
forbids  this  supposition. 

Thus  far  Prof.  Beer  j  and  thus  far  all  is  sufficiently  clear.  But 
there  still  remain  some  historical  points  of  difficult  solution. 
These  Christian  pilgrims,  who  were  they  1  and  whence  did  they 
come  I  The  fact  that  all  the  inscriptions  are  found  only  on  the 
great  routes  from  Egypt,  would  seem  to  imply  that  they  came 
from  that  country,  or  at  least  from  the  western  side  of  the  Gulf 
of  Suez.  But  if  so,  how  comes  it  that  not  a  trace  of  this  alphabet 
and  language  is  found  in  Egypt  or  its  vicinity  1  Egypt  too,  we 
know,  was  full  of  Jews  and  Christians  in  the  early  centuries  ;  how 
comes  it  then  that  no  Jewish  nor  Christian  names  are  found  among 
the  inscriptions!  It  is  true  that  the  heathen  proper  names  con¬ 
tinued  to  be  used  long  after  the  introduction  of  Christianity  ;  as 
we  see  from  the  names  of  the  early  fathers  and  bishops  ;  but  this 
will  not  account  for  the  entire  absence  of  Christian  and  Jewish 
names  among  such  hosts  of  pilgrims  coming  from  Egypt. 

On  the  other  hand,  were  these  pilgrims  Nabathaeans,  Ishmael- 
ites,  Saracens,  the  native  inhabitants  of  the  peninsula  and  of  Arabia 
Petraea  in  general  1  The  heathen  names  and  the  language  and 
writing  would  lead  to  this  conclusion.  But  then,  how  comes  it 
that  all  the  inscriptions  are  on  the  western  side  of  the  peninsula, 
and  not  one  upon  the  eastern  !  Besides,  there  is  no  historical 
evidence,  that  any  native  Christian  population  existed  in  or  around 
the  peninsula  in  the  early  centuries  ;  but  rather  the  contrary,  as 
we  have  seen  in  the  text  ;  p.  180,  seq.  The  Christian  exiles  from 
Egypt,  and  the  hermits  of  these  mountains,  lived  in  constant  ex¬ 
posure  to  slavery  or  death  from  the  heathen  around  them. 

Again  ;  how  comes  it  that  in  the  time  of  Cosmas,  about  A.D. 
530,  all  knowledge  of  this  alphabet  and  language  had  already 
perished  among  the  Christians  of  the  peninsula,  and  no  tradition 
remained  respecting  the  inscriptions  1 

In  the  Travels  of  Irby  and  Mangles,  a  fact  is  mentioned  which 
deserves  further  examination  from  travellers.  In  the  vicinity  of 
Wady  Musa,  on  the  left  hand  side  of  the  track  leading  to  the  vil¬ 
lage  of  Dibdiba  on  the  North,  this  party  found  upon  a  tomb, 
with  a  large  front  and  four  attached  columns,  an  oblong  tablet 


556 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


[XVIII. 


containing  an  inscription  “  in  five  long  lines,  and  immediately  un¬ 
derneath,  a  single  figure  on  a  large  scale,  probably  the  date.” 
They  describe  the  letters  as  “  well  cut,  and  in  a  wonderful  state 
of  preservation,  owing  to  the  shelter  which  they  receive  from  the 
projection  of  cornices  and  an  eastern  aspect.  None  of  the  party 
had  ever  seen  these  characters  before,  excepting  Mr.  Bankes  ; 
who,  upon  comparing  them,  found  them  to  be  exactly  similar 
to  those  which  he  had  seen  scratched  on  the  rocks  in  the  Wady 
Mukatteb,  and  about  the  foot  of  Mount  Sinai.”  This  inscription 
they  copied ;  but  it  has  never  been  made  public,  and  still  lies  in 
the  portfolios  of  Mr.  Bankes.  See  Travels  of  Irby  and  Mangles, 
pp.  411,  412,  413. 

When  we  were  at  Wady  Musa,  I  was  not  aware  of  the  position 
of  this  inscription  ;  and  the  circumstances  in  which  we  were  there 
placed,  prevented  our  finding  it. 

In  Cairo  I  was  told  that  similar  inscriptions  exist  in  the  im¬ 
mense  ancient  quarries  back  of  Tura  just  above  Cairo  ;  and  also 
in  the  granite  quarries  of  Aswan.  It  was  said  also,  that  they  had 
been  copied  by  travellers;  but  nothing  of  the  kind  has  ever  been 
made  public. 


Note  XVIII.  Pages  185,  200. 

The  Convent  and  its  Serfs.  The  following  passage  from  the 
Arabic  Annals  of  Eutychius,  (Sa’id  Ibn  el-Batrik,)  Patriarch  of  Al¬ 
exandria  in  the  latter  half  of  the  ninth  century,  has  been  hitherto 
apparently  overlooked  ;  and  seems  of  sufficient  importance  to  be 
inserted  here  in  a  translation.  It  is  found  in  Eutychii  Annales, 
Tom.  II.  p.  160,  seq.  Oxon.  1658. 

“But  when  the  monks  of  Mount  Sinai  heard  of  the  clemency 
of  the  emperor  Justinian,  and  that  he  delighted  to  build  churches 
and  found  convents,  they  made  a  journey  to  him  and  complained, 
how  the  wandering  sons  of  Ishmael  were  wont  to  attack  them 
suddenly,  eat  up  their  provisions,  desolate  the  place,  enter  their 
cells  and  carry  off  every  thing  ;  and  how  they  also  broke  into  the 
church  and  devoured  even  the  holy  wafers.  Then  the  emperor 
Justinian  said  to  them,  ‘What  do  ye  desire  P  And  they  said, 
‘We  ask  of  thee,  O  emperor,  that  thou  wouldst  build  for  us  a 
convent  which  may  be  a  strong-hold.’  For  before  this  time 
there  was  no  convent  in  Mount  Sinai  common  to  all  the  monks ; 
they  lived  scattered  upon  the  mountains  and  in  the  vallies  round 
about  the  bush,  out  of  which  God  (his  name  be  praised  !)  spoke 
with  Moses.  Above  the  bush  they  had  a  great  tower,  which  remains 


XVIII.] 


THE  CONVENT  AND  ITS  SERFS. 


557 


to  this  day,  and  in  it  was  the  church  of  St.  Mary.  And  when 
danger  was  near,  the  monks  fled  into  this  tower  and  fortified  them¬ 
selves  in  it.  The  emperor  dismissed  them,  and  sent  with  them  a 
legate  furnished  with  a  great  sum  of  money ;  and  he  wrote  to  his 
prefect  in  Egypt,  to  supply  the  legate  with  money,  as  much  as 
he  needed,  and  also  with  men,  and  to  see  that  he  likewise  receiv¬ 
ed  corn  from  Egypt.  And  he  commanded  the  legate  to  build  a 
church  at  Kolzum,  and  the  convent  Rayeh  (Raithul),  and  a  con¬ 
vent  in  Mount  Sinai ;  and  to  build  this  so  strong,  that  in  all  the 
world  there  should  not  be  found  one  stronger  ;  and  so  secure, 
that  from  no  quarter  should  there  be  any  harm  to  fear,  either  for 
the  monks  or  the  convent. 

“  And  the  legate  came  to  Kolzum,  and  built  there  the  church 
of  St.  Athanasius;  and  he  built  also  the  convent  Rayeh.  Then  he 
came  to  Mount  Sinai ;  and  found  there  the  bush  in  a  narrow  place 
between  two  mountains,  and  the  tower  near  by,  and  fountains  of 
water  springing  up  ;  but  the  monks  were  dispersed  in  the  vallies. 
At  first  he  thought  to  build  the  convent  high  above  upon  the 
mountain,  and  far  from  the  bush  and  tower.  But  he  gave  up  this 
purpose  on  account  of  water;  for  there  was  no  water  above  upon 
the  mountain.  He  built  therefore  the  convent  near  the  bush  on 
the  place  of  the  tower,  including  the  tower  in  the  convent ;  in  the 
narrow  place  between  two  mountains.  So  that  any  one  on  the 
top  of  the  northern  mountain,  might  throw  down  a  stone  into  the 
midst  of  the  convent  and  injure  the  monks.  And  he  built  the  con¬ 
vent  in  this  place,  because  here  was  the  bush,  and  other  celebrated 
monuments,  and  water.  And  he  built  a  chapel  on  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  on  the  spot  where  Moses  received  the  law.  The  name 
of  the  prior  of  the  convent  was  Daula. 

“Then  the  legate  returned  back  to  the  emperor  Justinian,  and 
told  him  of  the  churches  and  convents  he  had  built,  and  described 
to  him  how  he  had  built  the  convent  of  Mount  Sinai.  And  the 
emperor  said  unto  him,  c  Thou  hast  done  wrong,  and  hast  injured 
the  monks  ;  for  thou  hast  delivered  them  into  the  hand  of  their 
enemies.  Wherefore  hast  thou  not  built  the  convent  on  the  top 
of  the  mountain  V  And  the  legate  said  unto  him,  ‘I  have  built 
the  convent  near  by  the  bush,  and  near  water.  Had  I  built  it 
above  on  the  top  of  the  mountain,  the  monks  would  have  been 
without  water  ;  so  that  if  ever  they  had  been  besieged,  and  cut 
off  from  the  water,  they  must  have  died  of  thirst.  Also  the  bush 
would  have  been  far  distant  from  them.’  Then  the  emperor  said, 
1  Thou  oughtest  then  at  least  to  have  levelled  to  the  ground  the 


558 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


[XIX. 


northern  mountain  ;  so  that  from  it  no  one  could  do  the  monks 
any  harm.’  The  legate  said  to  him,  ‘  Had  we  laid  out  all  the 
treasures  of  Egypt  and  Rome  and  Syria  upon  it,  we  could  not 
have  made  an  end  of  this  mountain.’  Then  the  emperor  was 
wroth,  and  commanded  to  strike  off  his  head. 

“  Thereupon  he  sent  another  legate,  and  with  him  a  hundred 
slaves  out  of  the  slaves  of  Rome,  with  their  wives  and  children  ;  and 
commanded  him  also  to  take  from  Egypt  another  hundred  slaves 
out  of  the  slaves  of  Rome,  with  their  wives  and  children  ;  and  to 
build  for  them  dwellings  outside  of  Mount  Sinai,  wherein  they 
might  dwell,  and  so  guard  the  convent  and  the  monks ;  and  also  to 
provide  for  their  sustenance,  and  to  see  that  a  supply  of  corn  was 
furnished  to  them  and  to  the  convent  from  Egypt.  When  now 
the  legate  had  come  to  Sinai,  he  built  many  dwellings  outside  of 
the  convent  towards  the  East,  and  fortified  them,  and  placed  in 
them  the  slaves,  to  guard  and  protect  the  convent.  And  the 
place  is  called  unto  this  day  Deir  el-Abid ,  ‘  Convent  of  the 
Slaves.’ 

“  But  when  after  a  long  time  many  children  were  born  unto 
them,  and  they  were  multiplied,  and  the  religion  of  Muhammed 
was  spread  abroad,  (this  took  place  under  the  Khalif  Abd  el-Me- 
lek  Ibn  Merwan,)  then  they  fell  upon  one  another  and  killed  each 
other.  And  many  were  slain,  and  many  fled,  and  others  em¬ 
braced  the  Muhammedan  religion.  And  to  this  day  their  posterity 
in  the  convents  profess  this  religion,  and  are  called  Benu  Salih , 
and  are  also  named  Children  (Servants)  of  the  Convent.  Among 
them  are  the  Lakhmiyin.  But  the  monks  destroyed  the  dwellings 
of  the  slaves,  after  they  had  embraced  the  religion  of  Muham¬ 
med;  so  that  no  one  could  any  more  dwell  therein.  And  they 
remain  desolate  unto  this  day.” 


Note  XIX.  Page  249. 

Tezkirah,  or  Passport  of  the  Governor  of  ’  Akabah .  “  The  rea¬ 

son  of  writing  it  is,  that  when  it  was  Wednesday  the  10th  of 
Muhurram,  year  1254,  there  came  to  us  Mr.  Robinson,  and  with 
him  two  others,  having  an  answer  from  the  Council  to  us.  This 
answer  he  gave  to  us,  and  we  have  read  it  and  understood  what 
is  in  it.  In  it  we  are  informed  that  they  need  Arabs  and  camels 
to  take  them  to  Wady  MCisa.  Now  we  have  found  no  camels  in 
vour  neighbourhood,  all  the  Arabs  being  in  Syria.  Therefore  we 
said  to  them,  ‘How  is  your  opinion!  We  have  no  Arabs  nor 


XX.] 


TEZKIRAH.  HAJ-ROUTE. 


559 


camels.  We  will  send  for  you  to  Hussein.5  They  said,  ‘We 
shall  be  detained.’  And  we  said,  ‘  Consult  your  views  ;  that  we 
may  be  at  ease,  both  we  and  you.5  And  they  said,  ‘We  will  go 
to  Gaza ;  Wady  Musa  is  not  necessary  ;  we  will  go  to  Gaza.’  So 
we  gave  them  Arabs  of  the  Tawarah,  and  one  guide  to  conduct 
them  as  far  as  Wady  el-Abyad.  And  they  went  towards  Gaza, 
with  the  peace  of  God  most  High. 

“We  have  written  this  answer,  to  prevent  interference  with 
them  ;  and  no  one  must  interfere  with  them.55 

Dated  the  10th  of  (Signed)  Othman, 

Muhurram,  year  ’54.  Governor  of  the  Castle  of  ’Akabah. 

(L.  S.) 


Note  XX.  Page  254. 

Haj  Stations.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  stations  on  the 
Haj-route  from  Cairo  as  far  as  Muweilih,  with  the  portions  of  the 
road  for  which  the  various  tribes  of  Arabs  are  responsible  and 
furnish  a  convoy. 

Stations . 

1.  Birket  el-Haj.  8.  eth-Themed. 

2.  Dar  el-Humraj  no  water.  9.  Ras  en-Nukb ;  no  water. 

3.  5 Aji'iid .  10.  el-’’ Akabah. 

4.  en-Nawatir  ;  water  at  Mab’uk.  11.  Hakl. 

5.  Jebeil  Hasan ;  no  water.  12.  Ras  esh-Shuraf ;  no  water. 

6.  Nukhl.  13.  el-Beda5. 

7.  Wady  el-Kureis.  14.  Muweilih. 

Between  el-Beda5  and  Muweilih,  Riippell  inserts  another  sta¬ 
tion,  Ainune  as  he  calls  it,  the  Eynunah  of  Moresby’s  chart. 
Reisen  in  Nubien,  etc.  p.  218. 

Convoys.  The  route  from  Cairo  to  'Ajrud  is  free.  The  Ta¬ 
warah  are  then  responsible  for  it  from  ’Ajrudto  Nukhl.  But  ever 
since  they  plundered  a  caravan  several  years  ago,  and  were  pun¬ 
ished  for  it  by  the  Pasha,  they  have  been  deprived  of  their  tolls 
from  the  Haj  ;  though  it  is  still  their  duty  to  furnish  an  escort, 
and  they  are  still  responsible  for  the  safety  of  the  caravan  on  this 
part  of  the  route. — The  Tiydhah  are  responsible  only  at  Nukhl. — • 
The  Haiwdt  from  Nukhl  to  Ras  en-Nukb. — The  5  Alawin ,  from  Ras 
en-Nukb  to  ’Akabah.  The  5 Amrdn  from  ’Akabah  to  el-Beda’/ — - 
The  Haweitdt  from  el-Beda’  to  Muweilih,  etc. — All  these  tribes, 
except  the  Tawarah,  receive  tolls. 

A  list  of  stations  on  the  route  of  the  Syrian  Haj,  from  Damas- 


560  NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS.  [XXL 

cus  to  Mecca,  is  given  in  the  Appendix  to  Burckhardt’s  Travels 
in  Syria,  etc.  p.  656,  seq. 


Note  XXI.  Page  287. 

’Abdeh,  Eboda.  Our  ’Amran  guides  knew  these  ruins  only 
under  the  name  of  ’Aujeh.  Tuweileb  called  them  ’Abdeh ;  but  told 
us  afterwards,  that  he  knew  this  name  only  from  M.  Linant,  who 
had  visited  the  place  a  few  years  before.  In  Hebron  we  were 
asked,  whether  we  had  been  at  ’Abdeh,  which  was  said  to  be 
three  days  distant  from  that  town.  From  what  was  there  told 
us,  we  were  for  some  time  in  doubt,  whether  the  place  we  had 
visited  was  the  ’Abdeh  of  the  Arabs.  For  a  long  time  we  could 
get  no  definite  information,  nor  find  any  person  who  had  been 
there.  Some  said  it  lay  nearer  to  the  ’Arabah,  eastward  of  el- 
Birein.  It  was  not  till  after  our  return  from  Wady  Musa  in  June, 
that  we  became  satisfied  on  this  point.  W e  then  found  in  Hebron  a 
very  intelligent  owner  of  camels,  who  himself  had  travelled  through 
all  Syria  and  the  adjacent  countries,  and  had  been  at ’Abdeh.  He 
described  to  us  the  route  he  had  taken,  and  gave  a  minute  account 
of  the  ruins  and  their  situation $  mentioning  expressly  that  they 
lay  N.  W.  of  el-Birein.  His  account  tallied  so  exactly  with  what 
we  had  ourselves  seen,  that  we  no  longer  had  any  doubt  on  the 
subject. 

These  ruins  have  not  been  described  by  any  traveller  ;  nor  am 
I  sure  that  they  have  been  visited  by  any  one,  except  M.  Linant, 
as  above  mentioned.  Sir  F.  Henniker,  indeed,  in  crossing  the 
desert  from  the  convent  to  Gaza,  speaks  of  having  seen  somewhere 
in  this  quarter,  “  two  large  stone  buildings,  having  the  appearance 
of  fortresses,  and  situate  on  the  edge  of  a  lofty  rock.”  (Notes, 
etc.  p.  253.)  This  language  and  the  circumstances  of  the  case, 
would  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  ’Abdeh  was  here  meant ;  but 
the  other  details  of  his  account  are  so  totally  at  variance  with 
what  we  saw,  that  I  must  distrust  either  this  conclusion,  or  the 
accuracy  of  the  writer.  Seetzen,  in  1807,  travelled  direct  from 
the  vicinity  of  Gaza  to  Sinai.  On  the  third  day  he  came  to  a  place 
called  ’Abdeh,  of  which  he  before  had  heard  much  ;  but  he  found 
only  a  u  town  whose  houses  all  lay  in  ruins,  and  exhibited  nothing 
worth  seeing.”  (Zach’s  Monatl.  Corr.  XVII.  p.  144.)  This  could 
not  well  have  been  the  ’Abdeh  that  we  saw  ;  and  I  conjecture  it 
may  perhaps  have  been  Elusa.  M.  Callier  also,  in  passing  in  1834 
among  the  mountains  bordering  on  the  ’Arabah,  where  the  Wadys 


XXII.] 


ROUTES  THROUGH  THE  DESERT. 


561 


run  towards  the  Dead  Sea,  speaks  of  visiting  the  ruins  of  an  Abde} 
which  were  near  ;  but  he  does  not  describe  them.  (Journal  des 
Savans,  Jan.  1836,  p.  47.)  This  location  does  not  correspond  at 
all  to  the  ’Abdeh  we  visited. — I  am  inclined  to  suppose,  that  both 
these  latter  travellers  were  misinformed  by  their  Arab  guides. 
Jhey  had  both  heard  of  ’Abdeh  and  naturally  inquired  for  it;  and 
the  Arabs  in  their  usual  manner  answered  at  random,  and  pointed 
out  any  spot  that  happened  first  to  come  to  hand.  There  can  be 
no  question,  that  the  ruins  we  saw,  are  on  or  near  the  ancient 
Roman  road,  and  answer  to  the  position  of  Eboda  in  the  Peutinger 
Tables. 


Note  XXII.  Page  293. 

Routes  from  Mount  Sinai,  across  the  Desert  to  Gaza  and  Hebron. 

I.  Chief  Route  from  the  Convent  to  Gaza,  etc.  over  the  Pass 
el-Mureikhy.  Ten  days. 

1st  Day.  Convent  to 

’Ain  el-Akhdar,  in  the  Wady  of  the  same  name.  See 
page  125. 

2d  Day.  el-Mureikhy,  the  Pass. 

’Ammar  es-Salimeh,  a  plain. 

3d  Day.  er-Rejim,  a  spring  of  water  in  Wady  el-’Arish,  near 
its  head.  ^ 

4th  Day.  Humadet  el-Berbery,  a  plain.  Here  the  route  No.  II 
comes  in. 

el-Jughamileh,  a  spring  of  bitter  water  in  W/  el-’Arish, 
a  little  off  the  road. 

Themail  Um  es-Sa’ideh,  pits  of  bitter  water. 

5th  Day.  Wady  el-Hamdh. 

6th  Day.  Wady  el-’Arish.  The  path  crosses  the  Wady  and 
keeps  along  more  to  the  East. 

Jebel  Ikhrimm ;  see  pp.  272,  273. 

Wady  el-Kureiyeh;  see  pp.  272,  273. 
esh-Shureif. 

7th  Day.  Wady  el-Lussan  )  .  •  ,  ,  c 

W1  Jerur  >  at  Pomts  t0  the  left  °*  our  route  5 

W;  Jaifeh  ^  see  PP’ 

el-Muweilih,  with  brackish  water,  near  W/  el-’Ain  ;  see 

p.  281. 

8th  Day.  Wady  es-Seram  (head).  Here  this  route  falls  into  ours. 
See  p.  282. 

9th  Day.  er-Rulmibeh.  Route  the  same  as  ours. 

Vol.  I.  71 


562 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS.  [XXII. 


10th  Day.  Nuttar  Abu  Sutfiar,  where  the  Bedawin  have  store¬ 
houses  for  grain. 

Wady  esh-Sheri’ah,  running  to  the  sea. 

Ghuzzeh  (Gaza). 

This  appears  to  be  the  route  taken  by  Seetzen  in  1807,  from 
near  Gaza  to  the  Convent.  Zach’s  Monatl.  Corresp.  XVII. 
p.  142,  seq. 


II.  Route  by  the  Western  Pass,  er-Rakineh.  Ten  days. 

1st.  Day.  Convent  to 

Wady  Berah.  See  page  122. 

2d  Day.  el-Murak,  at  the  foot  of  et-Tih.  See  p.  112. 

3d  Day.  er-Rakineh,  the  Pass. 

Abu  Nuteighineh,  with  good  water. 

4th  Day.  Humadet  el-Berbery  in  No.  I. 

Hence,  as  before,  to  Gaza. 

III.  Branch  Route  from  Nos.  I  and  II,  by  way  of  Nukhl. 
Eleven  days  to  Gaza. 

3  Days  to  er-Rejim  as  in  No.  I ;  or  to  Abu  Nuteighineh  as  in  No.  II. 

4th  Day.  Abu-Ulejan. 

5th  Day.  Nukhl,  fortress  on  the  Haj-road. 

6th  Day.  Wady  er-Rawak.  (Comp.  Burckhardt,  p.  449.) 

7th  Day.  esh-Shureif,  in  No.  I. 

Hence,  as  before,  to  Gaza. 

Sir  F.  Henniker  passed  by  er-Rakineh  and  Nukhl ;  Notes 
etc.  pp.  246,  247.  Russegger,  a  few  months  after  our 
journey,  crossed  the  Tih  by  the  Pass  el-Mureikhy,  and 
then  went  by  Nukhl  to  Ruhaibeh  and  Hebron.  See  Berg- 
haus’ Annalen  der  Erdkunde,  etc.  Marz  1839,  p.  427,  seq. 


IV.  Eastern  route  by  el-’Ain,  etc.  Ten  days  to  Gaza. 

2  Days  from  the  Convent  to  the  head  of  Wady  ez-Zulakah  ;  see 
page  218. 

3d  Day.  el-’Ain  ;  living  water. 

Wady  el-’Atiyeh,  running  to  Wady  Wetir. 

Pass  of  et-Tih,  northern  ridge,  near  the  head  of  Wady 
el-Jerafeh. 

eth-Themed  ;  water.  See  p.  260. 
el-  Musheh-hem.  Comp,  in  No.  VII. 

Wady  el-Mayein  on  our  road. 

Hence,  the  same  route  as  ours. 


4th  Day. 
5th  Day. 


6th  Day. 
7th  Day. 


XXII.] 


ROUTES  THROUGH  THE  DESERT. 


563 


V.  Branch  Route  from  Nos.  I  and  II,  direct  to  Gaza  along 
the  western  side  of  Wady  el-’Arish. 

From  the  Convent  to 

Wady  el-Hamdh,  5  Days,  as  in  No.  I,  or  No.  II. 
Muktul  edh-Dhuleim. 

Wady  el-Hasana.  Comp,  in  No.  VI. 
el-Burkein. 

Mukrih  el-Ibna. 

Jebel  el-Helal.  See  p.  273. 

el-Kusaby ;  here  the  route  crosses  W/  el-’Arish. 

el-Khubarah.  See  pp.  298,  299. 

el-Bawaty. 

el-Minyay. 

Ghuzzeh  (Gaza). 

This  appears  to  have  been  the  route  of  the  Pilgrims  in  the 
15th  and  16th  centuries.  See  the  next  page. 

VI.  Route  between  Suez  or  ’Ajrud  and  Hebron. 

From  Suez  or  ’Ajr&d  to 

el-Mab’uk,  wells  just  S.  of  the  Haj-route. 

Ferashat  esh-Shih. 

Wady  el-Mudheiyat,  which  unites  with  W7  et-Tawal 
and  enters  the  sea  at  ’Ambek. 

Ka’a  el-Baruk. 

el-Hasana,  a  plain  with  living  water.  Comp,  in  No.  V. 
Wady  el-’Arish,  at  the  junction  of  W/  el-’ Ain.  See 
page  281. 

Wady  es-Seram,  on  our  road. 

Hence  to  Hebron,  on  our  route. 

VII.  Lord  Prudhoe’s  Route  from  Ajrud  direct  to  Wady  Musa. 


From  ’Ajrud  to 

Course.  Hours. 

Eng.  M. 

Mahebeug  [Mab’uk],  .  . 

.  ...  11. 

27. 

Wady  el-Hadj,  winding,  . 

.  N.  N.  E.  8. 

20. 

Nakl  [Nukhl], . 

.  E.  S.  E.  14. 

38. 

WadyReah)  [er-Rawak], . 

.fE.N.E.  2. 

i 

5. 

W'Acaba  *n  wuh  much  herbage  and  J  N.E.byE.2.  5. 

{  shrubs.  J 

W'  ’Arish  J  ( E.  N.  E.  2.  5. 

W/  Souph  (Hadjar  il-Abiad),  .  .  id.  .  1.  2^. 

W/  il-Mashakam  [el-Musheh-  (  E.N.  E  r  ~ 

hem  j  comp,  in  No.  IV.]  (  E.  S.  E.  ; 

Gaza  and  Tor  [convent]  Road. ) 

(The  well  Meleyha  is  4  miles  j>  S.  S.  E.  1.  2J-. 

North.)  j 


564 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Course. 

[XXIL 

Hours.  Eng.  M. 

Wady  Ghureir, . 

E.N.E 

.  5. 

14. 

W  Geraffe  [el-Jerafeh],  .  . 

S.E. 

5£.  14. 

W/  Lechiyaneh  [el-Lehyaneh], 
el-’Arabah. 

E. 

5. 

12. 

Compare  the  Route  of  Burckhardt  in  the  opposite  direction. 
Travels,  etc.  p.  444,  seq. 

In  A.  D.  1483,  Breydenbach  and  Felix  Fabri,  belonging  to  dif¬ 
ferent  companies  of  pilgrims,  travelled  together  from  Gaza  to 
Mount  Sinai,  and  each  described  the  route.  The  account  of  Fabri 
is  the  fullest ;  but  presents  little  more  than  a  few  names  which 
cah  hardly  be  recognised  ;  except  the  pass  er-Rakineh,  by  which 
they  crossed  the  Tih.  The  route  is  as  follows :  Sept.  10,  Lebhem , 
a  village. — 11,  Chawata ,  a  district  called  in  Latin  Cades. — 12, 
Gayan ,  a  Wady. — 13,  Wadalar ,  a  torrent.  [Wady  el-’Arish  1] 
Magdabey ,  a  torrent. — 14,  Magare ,  a  torrent  near  Gebelhelel 
[Jebel  Helal]. — 15,  Hachssene  a  torrent  [el-Hasana].  Minschene,  a 
torrent. — 16,  Alherock ,  a  torrent. — 17,  Chalep ,  a  high  white  moun¬ 
tain.  Meschmar ,  a  torrent. — 19,  Rackani ,  pass.  [er-Rakineh.] 
Ramathim. — 20,  Schoyle. — 21,  Abelharocka ,  near  the  Seat  of  Moses. 

Four  years  earlier,  in  A.  D.  1479,  Tucher  of  Nurnberg  had 
also  passed  from  Gaza  to  Sinai  5  but  his  route  is  still  less  intelli¬ 
gible  than  that  of  Fabri.  He  seems  to  have  crossed  the  Tih  by 
the  pass  el-Mureikhy,  which  he  calls  Roackie  ;  and  says  expressly 
that  the  usual  road  crossed  much  further  to  the  right  or  West. 
He  gives  the  following  names:  Sept.  22,  Mackati,  Wady. — 23, 
JYockra ,  Wady. — 26,  Lodro ,  Wady. — 27,  Schilludy ,  mountain. — • 
28,  Torcko. — 30,  Vintheine ,  Wady.' — Oct,  1,  Roackie,  pass.  [el-Mu¬ 
reikhy.] — 2,  Malchalach ,  Wady. 

For  the  Travels  of  all  these  Pilgrims,  see  Reissbuch  des  h. 
Landes. 

Elevations.  The  elevation  of  the  following  points  (among 
others)  along  the  middle  route  and  by  Nukhl,  are  given  by  Russ- 
egger  from  barometrical  observations  in  1838  ;  see  Berghaus’ 
Annalen  der  Erdkunde,  etc.  Marz,  1839,  p.  428.  It  must  how¬ 
ever  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the  numbers  here  given  do  not  fully 
accord  with  the  observations  of  Riippell  at  Sinai,  or  of  Schubert  at 


Hebron. 

Convent  of  Sinai  - 

Paris  Feet. 

5115. 

’Ain  el-Akhdar 

- 

- 

3793. 

High  Plateau  of  Jebel  et-Tih 

- 

- 

4322. 

XXIII.  XXIV.]  ELUSA.  MOUNT  OF  OLIVES.  565 

Paris  feet. 


Wady  el-’Arish,  Head  -----  2832. 
“  “  at  ’Ain  er-Rejim  -  -  -  2492. 

Nukhl  -  .  1396. 

Wady  Jerur  -  -  -  -  -  -  1013. 

er-Ruhaibeh  -  1032. 

Khulasali  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  661. 

Wady  el-Khulil  (1)  -  1097. 

Dhoheriyeh  ------  2040. 

Hebron  -------  2842. 

Hebron  according  to  Schubert  -  2664. 


Note  XXIII.  Page  297. 

Elusa.  From  a  remark  of  Jerome,  (Comm,  in  Esa.  xv.  4,) 
it  would  appear,  that  the  Aramaean  name  of  this  city  was 
which  was  softened  in  Greek  to  "Elowa.  The  Arabic  version  in 
Gen.  xx.  1,  2,  and  xxvi.  1,  instead  of  Gerar,  reads  el-Khulus ,  as  if 
referring  it  to  Elusa.  See  Reland’s  Palaest.  pp.  755,  805.  Bo- 
ehart  Phaleg,  p.  309. 

The  length  of  the  Roman  mile  is  commonly  assumed  as  equal 
to  f  of  a  geographical  mile,  or  at  75  to  the  degree.  Our  rate 
in  this  part  of  our  journey  was  fully  2.  13  G.  M.  the  hour,  being 
equivalent  to  2f  R.  M.  See  in  Note  VII.  Rennell’s  Compar. 
Geogr.  of  Western  Asia,  I.  p.  xxxvii. 


Note  XXIV.  Page  405. 

Mount  of  Olives.  The  northern  summit  of  this  mountain 
affords  an  instance  of  the  fluctuating  nature  of  the  later  monastic 
traditions.  Brocardus,  about  A.  D.  1283,  is  perhaps  the  first  writer 
who  mentions  it ;  cap.  IX.  He  gives  to  the  southern  part  of  the 
mountain  the  name  Mons  Offensionis ,  because  Solomon  set  up 
there  an  image  of  Moloch ;  while  on  this  northern  point,  he  says, 
he  placed  his  other  idol  Chemosh ;  1  K.  xi.  7,  8.  Afterwards, 
according  to  Brocardus,  the  Maccabees  erected  here  a  castle,  the 
remains  of  which  were  visible  in  his  day.  He  gives  no  name  to 
this  summit ;  but  Adrichomius  after  him,  calls  it  Mons  Scandali. 

• — Some  sixty  years  later,  about  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  cen¬ 
tury,  Maundeville  and  Rudolf  de  Suchem  both  speak  of  this  north¬ 
ern  point  under  the  name  of  Galilee  ;  the  former  calls  it  Mount 
Galilee,  and  the  latter  says  there  was  upon  it  a  village.  The 
same  account  is  given  by  Tucher,  A.  D.  1479,  and  by  Breyden- 
bach  and  Fabri  A.  D.  1483.  In  A.  D.  1573,  Rauwolf  found  here 


566 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


[XXV. 


ruins,  which  were  said  to  be  those  of  a  Khan  or  inn,  where  the 
Galileans  anciently  lodged  when  they  came  up  to  Jerusalem. 
Cotovicus  in  A.  D.  1598,  calls  it  Galilee ;  and  says  a  large  build¬ 
ing  had  just  before  been  commenced. — Next  comes  Quaresmius 
about  1620,  who  calls  the  same  point  Galilee  and  also  Viri  Galilaei , 
and  is  in  doubt  whether  this  appellation  comes  from  a  former  vil¬ 
lage,  or  a  like  inn  once  situated  here  ;  or  whether,  as  some  said, 
from  the  circumstance,  that  here  the  two  angels  met  the  disciples 
after  the  ascension  of  Jesus,  and  addressed  them  :  “  Men  of  Ga¬ 
lilee,”  etc.  Acts  i.  11.  See  Quaresm.  Elucid.  Terr.  Sanct.  II.  p.  319. 
The  same  writer  unites  the  names  Mons  Ojfensionis  et  Scandali 
upon  the  southern  ridge ;  ib.  p.  278.  Doubdan  describes  the 
northern  summit  in  1652,  as  called  Viri  Galilaei  and  occupied  by 
a  large  new  building  not  yet  finished;  Voyage,  etc.  p.  285.  In 
1697  Maundrell  still  gives  it  the  same  name  ;  and  says  a  high 
tower  had  stood  here,  which  had  been  thrown  down  two  years 
before. — Pococke  appears  to  have  found  the  name  transferred  to 
another  spot  lower  down  ;  Vol.  II.  p.  28.  fol.  So  too  Turner, 
Tour,  etc.  II.  p.  256.  At  present  the  name  Galilee  seems  to  be 
forgotten  ;  or  at  least  recent  travellers  do  not  mention  it  as  ap¬ 
plied  to  this  summit,  and  we  heard  nothing  of  it. 

Still  earlier  than  Brocardus,  Saewulf  about  A.  D.  1103,  speaks 
of  the  Coenaculum  on  Zion  as  then  called  Galilee,  because  the 
u  men  of  Galilee”  often  assembled  there  ;  Peregrinat.  p.  266. 

Note  XXV.  Page  415. 

Zion  and  Akra,  according  to  Clarke  and  Olshausen.  Two 
theories  respecting  Jerusalem  have  been  broached  within  the 
present  century,  which  have  made  some  noise  in  the  learned 
world ;  more  perhaps  from  the  reputation  of  the  scholars  who 
have  brought  them  forward,  than  from  any  intrinsic  merit  in  the 
theories  themselves. 

Dr.  E.  D.  Clarke,  who  visited  Jerusalem  in  1801,  and  wrote 
ten  years  later,  held  it  as  probable,  that  the  Hill  of  Evil  Counsel, 
now  so  called,  south  of  the  Valley  of  Hinnom,  was  u  the  real 
Mount  Sion  ;”  and  that  which  we  have  called  the  Valley  of  Hin¬ 
nom,  he  regarded  as  the  Tyropoeon  of  Josephus.  Travels,  etc. 
Part.  II.  Vol.  I.  p.  557.  4to.  London  1812.  He  does  not  however 
attempt  to  disturb  the  site  of  the  temple  as  commonly  assumed  ; 
but  considers  the  great  Moskof  Omar  as  occupying  the  spot,  where 
that  ancient  structure  stood.  Ibid.  pp.  601,  602.  Dr.  Clarke  ap¬ 
parently  did  not  take  the  trouble  even  to  think  of  reconciling  his 


XXVI.] 


CLARKE  AND  OLSHAUSEN.  TOMBS. 


567 


theory  with  the  other  topographical  details  of  the  ancient  city. 
He  forgot,  or  did  not  know,  that  Josephus,  as  we  have  seen  in  the 
text,  describes  the  northern  part  of  Zion  as  lying  West  from  the 
temple,  and  connected  with  it  by  a  bridge,  which  was  not  so  long 
hut  that  persons  could  hold  a  colloquy  across  it.  Now  Dr. 
Clarke’s  Mount  Zion  is  more  than  an  English  mile  distant  from  the 
Great  Mosk  or  site  of  the  temple ;  and  between  the  two  lies  the 
whole  extent  of  the  high  hill,  which  all  travellers  but  Dr.  Clarke 
do  not  hesitate  to  regard  as  Zion. — The  hypothesis  is  too  absurd 
to  admit  of  further  refutation. 

The  theory  of  Olshausen  has  respect  to  Akra  and  the  Lower 
City ;  which  in  his  little  tract  he  holds  to  have  been  the  same 
with  the  narrow  ridge  south  of  the  Great  Mosk,  and  east  of  Zion  ; 
Topogr.  des  alten  Jerus.  pp.  4,  5.  But  to  say  nothing  of  the  fact, 
that  a  gate  led  out  from  the  west  side  of  the  temple  into  the 
“  other”  or  Lower  City,  as  described  in  the  text ;  I  would  here 
only  remark,  that  Akra  lay  “  overagainst”  the  temple  ;  was  natu¬ 
rally  higher  than  Moriah ;  and  was  separated  from  it  by  a  valley. 
Now,  as  we  have  seen,  the  present  narrow  ridge  of  Ophel,  S.  of 
the  Great  Mosk,  is  not  and  never  was  separated  from  Moriah  by 
a  valley ;  it  being  only  a  lower  prolongation  of  one  and  the  same 
ridge.  Nor  can  it  ever  have  been  even  so  high  as  the  level  of 
Moriah ;  for  at  present  its  upper  part,  adjacent  to  the  city  wall,, 
is  at  least  one  hundred  feet  lower  than  the  area  of  the  mosk  ;  and 
it  continues  to  slope  down  rapidly  with  occasional  rocky  offsets 
quite  to  Siloam.  The  rocky  surface  which  appears  in  many  parts 
of  it,  and  indeed  its  whole  aspect,  demonstrate  that  it  never  was 
much  if  any  higher  than  at  present. 

I  carried  with  me  the  tract  of  Olshausen  above  mentioned,  in 
order  to  examine  his  arguments  upon  the  spot.  And  since  this  note 
was  written,  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  submitting  it,  as  well  as 
the  part  of  the  text  to  which  it  refers,  to  the  inspection  of  Prof. 
Olshausen  himself ;  and  have  reason  to  suppose  that  the  informa¬ 
tion  thus  presented,  has  led  him  to  reconsider  his  former  views. 

Note  XXVI.  Page  527. 

Tombs  South  of  Hinnom.  The  language  of  Dr.  Clarke  in 
speaking  of  the  tombs  South  of  Hinnom,  is  exaggerated  and 
reprehensible.  He  describes  them  as  “hewn  with  marvellous 
art ;”  and  says  that  u  some  of  them,  from  their  magnificence  and 
the  immense  labour  necessary  to  form  the  numerous  repositories 
they  contain,  might  lay  claim  to  regal  honours.”  Travels  in  the 


568 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS, 


[XXVI, 


Holy  Land,  4to.  pp.  549,  551.  The  impression  given  by  this  lan¬ 
guage  is  false.  Labour  enough  they  must  indeed  have  cost ;  but 
there  is  not  the  slightest  trace  of  magnificence,  nor  of  any  parti¬ 
cular  architectural  skill.  Such  extravagant  assertions  could  come 
only  from  one  who  had  a  theory  to  support. 

The  theory  of  Dr.  Clarke  was,  that  this  hill  was  the  ancient 
Zion  ;  and  this  hypothesis  he  founded  on  the  very  slender  basis  of 
the  sepulchral  inscription,  x%  aytag  given  in  the  text. 

The  absurdity  of  it  has  been  sufficiently  shown  in  the  preceding 
note. 

The  same  traveller  also  broached  another  hypothesis  not 
much  less  extravagant,  viz.  that  a  tomb  which  he  entered  here 
was  probably  “the  identical  tomb  of  Jesus  Christ !”  Page  554. 
This  supposition  cannot  of  course  be  disproved ,  any  more  than  it 
can  be  proved ;  but  we  might  with  just  as  much  propriety  select 
some  fifty  or  more  among  the  hundreds  of  sepulchres  around  the 
city,  as  having  been  the  tomb  of  the  Saviour.  Besides,  the  place 
of  crucifixion,  so  far  as  we  know  any  thing  about  it,  was  near 
the  city,  and  also  near  to  one  of  the  great  roads  leading  from  the 
gates.  It  must  therefore  be  sought  in  all  probability  on  the  north¬ 
ern  or  western  side  of  Jerusalem.  The  sepulchre  was  in  a  gar¬ 
den  near  the  same  place.  John  xix.  20,  41. 

Dr.  Clarke  claims  further  to  have  been  the  first  to  “  discover” 
the  tombs  on  the  south  side  of  the  Valley  of  Hinnom,  lying  West 
of  the  Aceldama  and  below  the  villa  of  Caiaphas,  so  called.  He 
speaks  confidently  of  “  the  discovery  of  antiquities  undescribed 
by  any  author;  and  marvellous  it  is,  [he  says,]  considering  their 
magnitude,  and  the  scrutinizing  inquiry  which  has  been  so  often 
directed  to  every  object  of  the  place,  that  these  antiquities  have 
hitherto  escaped  notice.”  Page  548.  Strange  indeed  it  would 
have  been  ;  for  they  must  have  been  seen  by  every  pilgrim  visit¬ 
ing  Jerusalem  ;  and  even  Dr.  Clarke  himself  suggests  that  Sandy s 
may  allude  to  them  in  speaking  of  “  divers  sepulchres”  in  this 
part  near  the  Aceldama ;  Sandys’  Travels,  Lond.  1658.  p.  145. 
But  had  he  looked  further,  he  would  have  found  that  other  travel¬ 
lers  have  mentioned  these  sepulchres  repeatedly.  They  have 
not  described  them  indeed ;  for  that  was  not  the  fashion  of  the 
early  pilgrims.  Nor  indeed  was  there  any  thing  about  them 
deserving  of  special  remark,  except  the  inscriptions ;  and  these 
Dr.  Clarke  has  the  merit  of  being  the  first  to  copy. 

The  following  are  some  of  the  writers  who  mention  these 
tombs.  Edrisi  in  the  twelfth  century,  in  speaking  of  the  Acel- 


XXVII.] 


DR.  CLARKE.  TOMB  OF  HELENA. 


569 


dama,  says,  that  “there  are  near  it  numerous  dwellings  hewn  in 
the  rock  and  inhabited  by  hermits ;”  ed.  Jaubert.  p.  345.  Sir 
John  Maundeville  speaks  here  too  of  “  manye  Oratories,  Cha- 
pelles,  andllermytages,  where  Hermytes  weren  wont  to  duelle  ;”  p. 
93.  Loud.  1839.  In  the  same  (fourteenth)  century,  Rudolf  de 
Suchem  likewise  mentions  “  the  many  dwellings  of  hermits,  now 
forsaken  and  uninhabited;”  Reissb.  p.  847.  In  A.  D.  1483  Felix 
Fabri  describes  them  more  particularly  as  “ancient  Jewish  sepul¬ 
chres,”  which  he  often  visited  and  entered  alone  ;  though  some 
of  them  were  “  so  deep,  that  he  never  ventured  to  the  end  of  them 
for  fear  of  losing  himself  in  the  dark.”  They  had  formerly,  he 
says,  been  inhabited  by  the  Greek  monks.  Reissb.  p.  256.  But 
to  come  down  later ;  Pococke  in  A.  D.  1738,  after  describing 
the  Aceldama  and  the  tombs  around  it,  speaks  of  the  hill  of  Evil 
Counsel  or  Villa  of  Caiaphas,  and  then  remarks  :  “  I  saw  several 
other  sepulchral  grottos  as  I  descended  from  this  place  into  the 
vale  that  is  to  the  West  of  the  city;”  Descr.  of  the  East  II.  p.  25. 
fol. — All  this  is  sufficient  to  shoAV  that  Dr.  Clarke’s  “  discovery” 
had  been  at  least  spoken  of  more  than  six  centuries  before  his 
day  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  language  of  Antoninus  Martyr,  who 
also  mentions  the  cells  of  anchorites  near  Aceldama. 


Note  XXVII.  Page  537. 

Tomb  of  Helena,  P ausanias .  The  following  is  the  text  of 
Pausanias ;  Arcadia,  i.  e.  Lib.  VIII.  c.  16,  cEftgaloiq  8s  cE).ivr\q  yvvai- 
xbg  iju/b>oi(/.q  xacpoq  scrxlv  sv  noXsi  Eolv/notg^  i)v  eq  tdacfoq  xax sfiaXsv  o 
[Potfxaibiv  (jucnlsvq  •  ysfjnix avxjxai  ■8s  sv  to)  t acpcg  xrjv  &vgav  o/xolwq  navxa 
oiicrav  to)  t acfOh  hPHvrjV,  /ui)  nobisQOV  iaavolysadai  nglv  av  ij/xigav  is  asl 
xal  biguv  to  sxoq  inuyayr ]  t  rtv  avvrjv  *  tots  8s  vnb  fxovov  xovfxr^avri- 
jxaxoq  avoiy&slaa,  xal  oil  noli)  imcryovaa  avvszXsla&i]  8 P  bllyqq  •  rovrov 
(xsv  8ij  oiiTbj  *  t ov  8s  aXXov  ygovov  uvotigai  nsigbi/jsvoq ,  avoiqaq  fjisv  oinc  av, 
v.axa^siq  8s  avxrtv  ngoxsgov  (hagotxsvoq.  “  Et  apud  Hebraeos  in  Solymo- 
rum  urbe,  quamRomanorum  Imperator  funditus  excidit,Helenae  in- 
digenae  mulieris  sepulchrum  [miri  operis]  est ;  in  eo  enim  ostium 
fabricatum  est  e  marmore,  uti  ceterae  sepulchri  partes;  id  anni 
stato  die,  atque  hora,  occulto  machinae  cujusdam  motu  aperitur  ; 
neque  ita  multo  post  occluditur.  Quod  si  alio  tempore  aperire 
conatus  fueris,  effringas  facilius,  quam  ulla  vi  recludas.” — This 
passage,  I  believe,  was  first  brought  into  notice  by  Valesius  in 
his  Notes  on  Euseb.  Histor.  Eccl.  lib.  II.  c.  12. 

Vol.  II.  72 


570 


NOTES  AND  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


[XXVIII. 


Note  XXVIII.  Page  538. 

Tomb  of  Helena.  Carelessness  of  Writers.  The  discussions 
of  Pococke,  Chateaubriand,  and  Dr.  Clarke,  respecting  the  Tomb 
of  Helena,  exhibit  a  curious  instance  of  careless  second-hand  cita¬ 
tion.  Josephus,  as  we  have  seen,  describes  the  sepulchre  as  having 
had  three  pyramids  ;  and  Zuallardo  in  A.  D.  1586  gives  the  first 
modern  account  of  it  in  its  present  state.  At  that  time  the  Jesuit 
Villalpandus  was  preparing  at  Rome  his  laborious  work:  Appa¬ 
ratus  Urbis  ac  Templi  Hierosolymitani ,  which  forms  the  third  vol¬ 
ume  of  Pradi  et  Villalp.  in  Ezech.  Explanations ,  etc.  III.  Tomi, 
fol.  Romae  1594 — 1604.  In  this  work  he  speaks  of  the  supposed 
Tombs  of  the  Kings,  and  quotes  the  description  of  Zuallardo  ;  lib. 
3.  c.  16.  Thus  far  all  is  well  enough.  But  Quaresmius,  a  few  years 
later,  in  quoting  Villalpandus,  makes  him  (not  Josephus)  speak 
here  of  pyramids.  Quaresm.  Elucid.  II.  p.  730.  Here  is  the  first 
lapsus  ;  and  this  Pococke  has  contrived  to  increase,  by  saying, 
unaccountably,  that  “Villalpandus,  describing  them  as  sepulchres 
of  the  kings,  takes  notice  of  one  pyramid  standing  over  them  in 
his  time  ;  the  other  two  probably  having  been  destroyed,  as  the 
third  has  been  taken  away  since  his  time  f  Descr.  of  the  East, 
fol.  II.  p.  20.  This  could  have  come  only  from  a  careless  misap¬ 
prehension  of  Quaresmius.  Then  comes  Chateaubriand,  repeat¬ 
ing  apparently  the  words  of  Pococke  :  “  Ce  monument  souterrain 
etoit  annonce  au  dehors  par  trois  pyramides,  dont  une  existait 
encore  du  temps  de  Villalpandus  Itin.  II.  p.  81.  Par.  1837.  Dr. 
Clarke  improves  upon  this  still  further  :  “  The  circumstance  of  his 
(Josephus’)  allusion  to  the  pyramids  at  the  Sepulchre  of  Helena, 
one  of  which,  actually  seen  by  Villalpandus,  having  since  disap¬ 
peared,  and  thereby  warranted  the  probable  annihilation  of  the 
other  two,  is  deemed  sufficient  by  Pococke  to  identify  the  place 
alluded  to  by  the  Jewish  historian  Travels,  etc.  4to.PartII.  Vol. 
I.  p.  597.  This  then  is  a  version  from  Pococke,  and  converts  Father 
Villalpandus  at  once  into  an  oriental  traveller  !  After  all  this,  one 
would  hardly  expect  to  find,  that  neither  Villalpandus,  nor  his 
voucher  Zuallardo,  nor  any  other  traveller  of  that  or  a  previous 
age,  says  one  word  of  any  pyramid  or  pyramids  in  connection  with 
this  spot.  Yet  such  is  the  naked  truth. 

But  one  blunder  was  not  enough  for  Chateaubriand ;  and  there¬ 
fore  he  contrives  to  commit  another  still  more  gross,  which  has 
come  down  through  all  the  editions  of  his  Itinerary  to  the  present 
day.  Speaking  of  these  same  tombs,  he  says  :  “  Arculfe  ( apud 
Adamni)  qui  les  a  decrits  avec  une  grande  exactitude,  ( Sepulchra 


XXVIII.] 


TOMB  OF  HELENA. 


571 


sunt  in  naturali  collis  rupe ,  etc.)  avoit  vu  des  ossements  dans  les 
cercueils.  Plusieurs  siecles  apres,  Villamont  y  trouva  pareille- 
ment  des  cendres,  qu’on  y  cherche  vainement  aujourd’hui Itin. 
Par.  1837,  Tom.  II.  p.  81.  The  work  of  Adamnanus  was  written 
about  A.  D.  697  ;  Villamont  travelled  in  A.  D.  1589.  When  I  first 
read  the  above  passage  I  was  gratified  to  find  that  this  sepulchre 
could  be  traced  back  so  far  ;  but  on  turning  to  the  work  of 
Adamnanus,  which  is  very  brief,  I  sought  in  vain  for  the  quotation. 
Recollecting  however  such  a  passage  somewhere,  I  turned  to  the 
folios  of  Quaresmius ,  and  there  found  the  description  beginning 
with  :  Sepulchra  sunt  in  naturali  collis  rupe ,  etc.  and  the  mention 
of  the  bones,  given  as  the  result  of  his  own  personal  observation  ; 
Elucid.  Terrae  Sanct.  II.  p.  730.  Thus  instead  of  an  alleged  notice 
out  of  the  seventh  century,  we  are  furnished  with  one  out  of  the 
seventeenth  ;  a  difference  of  more  than  nine  hundred  years.  Nor 
did  this  blunder  arise  from  a  mere  slip  of  the  pen  ;  as  is  shown  by 
the  mention  of  Villamont  “plusieurs  siecles  apres  this  traveller 
having  been  earlier  than  Quaresmius. 


END  OF  VOL.  I. 


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